By Felix Anthony
Guwahati, March 11, 2026: Leaders of the Catholic Church in northeastern India have gathered in Guwahati, Assam for a strategic planning to adapt and implement the Pastoral Plan 2033 in the region.
The March 11-12 meeting, held at the North East Diocesan Social Service Societies, has brought together archbishops, bishops, religious major superiors, and lay leaders, along of priests and nuns from across the region.
Opening the meeting, Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati and the regional council president said the region has already begun preparing for the vision of 2033. Since 2024, each of the 15 dioceses in the region has worked on a nine-year action plan aligned with the national pastoral vision.
“The purpose of this meeting is to develop concrete action plans to reach the unreached and bring the Gospel to every level of society while implementing the National Pastoral Plan 2033 in the context of Northeast India,” the archbishop said.
Salesian Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao and chairman of the Proclamation Commission of the region, stressed that the Church must refocus on its core mission of evangelization.
“We have discussed many topics over the years, but it is time to reorient ourselves to the one mission that defines us as Christians—evangelization,” he said.
Speaking on the theme “Mission 2033 for the Northeast Region,” Manoj Sunny, Jesus International Coordinator and Global 33, highlighted what he called “Gospel poverty” in India, noting that nearly 1.37 billion people have not yet heard or accepted Christ.
Quoting the missionary vision proposed by the late Pope Francis, he said, “Depriving people of the joy of the Gospel is the greatest injustice we can do to them.”
Sunny suggested four key priorities for the Church in the coming years: building a Synodal Church in mission, empowering the laity to proclaim the Gospel, developing a youth-focused Church, and addressing practical challenges such as time, convenience, and financial limitations.
Father Stephen Alathara, deputy secretary general of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (Latin Rite), commended the Church in northeastern India for its missionary commitment.
“The Pastoral Plan 2033 that we are implementing is the result of extensive consultations and discussions at the grassroots level,” he said.
Father Cyril Victor Joseph, coordinator of the CCBI Media Apostolate, emphasized the importance of digital evangelization, particularly in the native languages and dialects of northeastern India.
“Digital media has become a culture that shapes human interaction. It provides a powerful platform for evangelization and offers new opportunities for the Church to live out the vision of a synodal community,” he said.
The meeting ended with the launch of ‘Digi Word,’ a digital initiative of the Claretian Missionaries in Northeast India.
Spearheaded by Father John Thurackal, secretary of the Bible Commission of the regional counci8l, the platform offers daily Scripture readings and reflections, devotional hymns, Bible Quizzes, and catechetical resources, along with integration with major social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
This is just another routine exercise that will likely have no real impact on anyone. I’m sure the leaders who attended the workshop or seminar enjoyed the experience of participating in a national-level, global meeting on synodality, with input from leaders of the CCBI. A report will be circulated, and once again, everyone will return to their places feeling satisfied—but very few will be truly convinced or ready to embrace a synodal way of life in the Church.
After all, our Church remains firmly structured in a top-down model. Those at the lower levels have little opportunity to express their thoughts about the Church as a whole or their local leadership at the diocesan level. Anyone with a differing viewpoint is often seen as a problem or even as opposing the Church. Weak leadership, self-interest, and a focus on protecting one’s position have become the norm.
I served as a diocesan contact person for my diocese and traveled to parishes across the state to train parish and religious leaders. However, the leadership at the top was not open to any meaningful change in the diocese, for reasons of their own. So, while this exercise may have been well-intentioned, I can’t help but question the expenses involved. Was it really worth the money spent?