German Cardinal Reinhard Marx hails CCBI’s Pastoral Plan

Bangalore, February 16, 2025: In a letter written to the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India on 16 January 2025, Cardinal Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising stated that there is an optimistic sense that the CCBI’s Pastoral Plan will start something new for the Church in India.

Cardinal Marx is also a member of the Council of Cardinals which advises the Holy Father, Pope Francis. He also serves as the Coordinator of the Vatican's Council for the Economy. Expressing his admiration for the Pastoral Plan’s “broad and deep process”, he noted that he was particularly impressed by the initiative’s focus not only on abstract renewal but also on concrete issues such as ecumenism, ecology, migration, women and youth. He commended the Episcopal Conference for the “impressive and important work” being undertaken by the Church in India.

The CCBI Pastoral Plan - Mission 2033 - has drawn widespread appreciation from Church leaders worldwide. Cardinal Marx stated that we are all bound together in a global process of transforming the Catholic Church into a more synodal and missionary Church, although the context and language may vary. Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, has also echoed Cardinal Marx’s sentiments.

Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, President of the CCBI has invited the People of God to walk together and tread new paths toward where God is calling them. He has urged the Church in India to cut through its comfort zones and take new directions to realise its communion with one another, participating in the life of the Church as committed members and living its mission.

“We are receiving a lot of appreciation for the CCBI Pastoral Plan from various parts of the world,” said Dr. Christopher Vimalraj, who is coordinating the implementation effort. He affirmed that while the task of execution is significant, the team of executive secretaries and coordinators is fully committed and striving to implement it effectively through an inclusive approach that involves the entire People of God.

The CCBI launched the National Pastoral Plan, titled "Journeying Towards a Synodal Church: Mission 2033.” on September 11, 2024. It was a follow-up to a year-long process involving over 5,000 members of the Latin Catholic Church in India, including bishops, clergy, religious leaders, men, women and youth, responding to a crucial question: "Where is God calling the Church to be by 2033?".

By Canisha Judith