CBCI Joins National Interfaith Alliance for Social and Environmental Justice

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, June 5, 2025: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) formally joined the newly launched National Multi-Faith Action Coordination Committee (MFACC) as a core member during the Committee's inaugural meeting held on May 29, 2025, at Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh. The Committee seeks to combat poverty, environmental degradation, and social inequality across India. The CBCI joined the committee through its Office for Interreligious Dialogue and its social action wing, Caritas India.

The meeting of the committee brought together senior leaders from seven major religious traditions, along with representatives of several faith-based organisations from across the country. The event was held under the spiritual leadership of Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and was graced by the presence of former Indian President Shri Ram Nath Kovind.

Representing the Catholic Church at the meeting were Fr. Dr. Anthoniraj Thumma, national secretary of the CBCI Office for Interreligious Dialogue, and Navneet Yadav, Caritas India’s lead on humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction. Both pledged the Church’s commitment to the newly formed committee and voiced support for its partners.

The MFACC is an initiative of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA) in partnership with UNICEF. It seeks to build a coordinated, faith-driven response to pressing issues including public health, nutrition, water and sanitation, child protection, education, disaster risk reduction, and climate action. It also aims to promote knowledge sharing and joint strategic planning among faith groups, in alignment with global humanitarian and environmental goals. The initiative echoes Pope Francis’s call to respond to “the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth.

The committee plans to convene quarterly, with the next meeting scheduled to take place in New Delhi, where members will develop a formal action plan.

Source: LiCAS News