Tamil Nadu Bishops Adopt Poor-Centred Pastoral Action Plan

Madurai, July 17, 2026: The Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council (TNBC) and the Tamil Nadu Latin Bishops' Council (TNLBC) have adopted a five-point pastoral action plan placing the poor at the centre of the Church's mission during their Annual General Body Meeting held at PILLAR in the Archdiocese of Madurai.

The meeting brought together bishops, representatives of the Tamil Nadu Conference of Religious (TNCRI), Regional Commission Secretaries, Directors of Pastoral Centres and lay delegates from all 22 dioceses. Nearly 250 participants reflected on the theme, "A Synodal Church that Prioritizes the Poor."

In his presidential address, the President of the Tamil Nadu–Pondicherry Pastoral Council (TPPC) said the Church rejects every form of discrimination and upholds the equal dignity of every human person, created in the image and likeness of God. He emphasised that the Church's preferential option for the poor is rooted in the Gospel and is a theological commitment rather than a social, political or economic ideology.

Jesuit theologian Fr. Jerry delivered the keynote address, presenting a biblical and theological reflection on placing the poor at the heart of the Church's life and mission.

Delegates were divided into 12 groups to formulate practical recommendations for strengthening poor-centred pastoral ministry in parishes and dioceses. Based on their proposals, the Council approved a five-point action plan.

The plan calls for greater participation of the poor in consultative and decision-making bodies at diocesan, deanery and parish levels. It also encourages dioceses, parishes, religious congregations and Church institutions to allocate at least 10 per cent of their annual income for education, healthcare, housing and livelihood programmes benefiting the poor.

Other commitments include promoting educational, professional and legal empowerment through academic support, career guidance and free legal assistance to access government welfare schemes; advancing the empowerment of Dalit Christians through the implementation of the TNBC's Ten-Point and Eight-Point Programmes along with the CCBI Policy of Empowerment; and transforming parishes into environmentally sustainable Green Parishes in keeping with the Church's teaching on care for creation.

The Council asked diocesan pastoral coordinators and directors of pastoral centres to work with their bishops in implementing the resolutions and to document their outcomes for wider sharing across the region.

The meeting also included a concelebrated Eucharistic celebration presided over by Bishop George Antonysamy of Madras-Mylapore, President of the TNBC, with the homily delivered by Bishop Sagayaraj Thamburaj of Thanjavur.

Annual reports from Regional Commission Secretaries, Directors of Regional Centres and Secretaries of Special Ministries were presented during the gathering. The bishops also held separate sessions to discuss pastoral, administrative and policy matters affecting the Church in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, followed by a joint meeting with representatives of the Tamil Nadu Conference of Religious.

The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks by Bishop Nazarene Soosai, Secretary General of the TNBC and TNLBC.

By Fr. Francis Joseph, Deputy Secretary, TNBC/TNLBC