By Matters India Reporter

Bangalore: Cardinal Oswald Gracias has urged Catholic bishops in India to help their people become fully Indian and fully Christian.

“The Catholic Church needs our nation and India needs the Church,” asserted the cardinal on February 4 while opening the 30th plenary assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, the episcopal body of the Latin rite bishops in the country.

The prelate, who is the president of the conference and archbishop of Bombay, said the bishops would discuss “our role as Indian Christians” and ask our people to become better Indian Christians. “This is the call of today to be fully Indian and fully Christian.”

The one day meeting discussed matters affecting the Latin Catholic Church in India, which consists of 132 dioceses and 183 Bishops. The CCBI is the largest episcopal conference in Asia and fourth largest in the world.

Cardinal Gracias also asserted that the responsibility of Christians in India is to present the Gospel values in society and help people live them through eradication of corruption, removal of prejudices, checking exploitation of tribal and dalit communities and fostering truth, justice and selflessness.

Cardinal Gracias led the opening Mass.

The plenary welcomed newly ordained bishops and honored those celebrating silver and golden jubilees of their priestly and episcopal ordinations.

The meeting observed a few moments of silence for the deceased members of the conference. It also released the rituals for Confirmation and Marriage.

The rituals for Confirmation and Marriage were also released during the meeting.

Archbishop George Antonysamy of Madras-Mylapore, CCBI vice president, welcomed the gathering. Secretary General Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi presented the annual report.