Some 235 bishops, members of the Catholic Bishop Conference of India
(CBCI), will come together February 5-12 in Palai, Kerala, for their
biennial meeting, few months ahead of the national elections. The bishops are to discuss the political stand the Church should take in the coming Lok Sabha elections, Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt of Palai told Deccan Chronicle.
“The stand the Church should adopt in the coming general elections will be discussed at the plenary meeting, which will see the third biggest assembly of Catholic bishops in the world," said Bishop Kallarangatt, the newspaper reported.
Besides the elections, the bishops are expected to discuss the stand the Church in Kerala needs to take on the Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats and various other socio political issues.
The participants for the 31st national meeting include bishops of 165 dioceses, 12 auxiliary bishops, two Kuria bishops and 56 retired bishops of the three ritual Churches--the Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara and Latin churches across the country.