Bengaluru: The 37th General Body Meeting (GBM) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) began Wednesday at St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, with over 200 bishops from 174 dioceses across the country taking part in the meet. The four-day meeting, held under the theme “Faith and the Nation: The Church’s Witness to India’s Constitutional Vision,” was inaugurated by Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli.Proceedings opened with a solemn Eucharistic celebration, during which Archbishop Girelli called upon bishops to be the “light and salt of the earth” and urged them to serve the poor and marginalised with humility and joy. Welcoming the gathering, the Archbishop of Bengaluru said the theme reflected the Church’s deep commitment to the values enshrined in the Constitution. Archbishop George Antonysamy read out the message of Pope Leo XIV.Addressing the gathering, Archbishop Girelli said the ideals of the Indian Constitution resonated strongly with the Church’s social teachings and called for new ways of practising faith in harmony with democratic values. CBCI president Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath described the theme as both a spiritual confession and a public responsibility, urging bishops to be “missionaries of hope.” He also stressed the need to humanise emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.The CBCI biennial report for 2024–26 was presented during the session. Thirty-one newly appointed bishops were felicitated, and tributes were paid to bishops who passed away during the period.
