Cardinal Gracias re-elected as President of CBCI

Cardinal Oswald Gracias was this week re-elected as the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).

Cardinal Gracias was elected for another term of two years, during the 30th CBCI Plenary Assembly in Bangalore.

The present Archbishop of Mumbai, Cardinal Gracias earlier served as the Secretary General of the CBCI, which is the apex body of the Catholic Church.

"His long association with the Bishops' Conference and experience of guiding it will stand in good stead in giving effective leadership to the Church in India at this very crucial juncture," CBCI said in a statement.

The Catholic Bishops in the current Plenary Assembly have been reflecting on the theme 'The Church's Role for a Better India'.

In his address, Cardinal Gracias said the Church, in as much as it is an inalienable part of the nation, will commit itself to the integral development of all sections of society.

Speaking on the rationale behind the Church's involvement in social development and human transformation, Cardinal Gracias said in no uncertain terms that the Church's very mission is to bring life to people in all its abundance as Jesus taught.

"And life in its fullness would mean that every human person is liberated from all forms of oppression and de-humanising situations and be accorded with dignity and honour," he said.

The Plenary Assembly of Catholic Bishops will come to its close on February 08, 2012.

The Assembly, held once in two years and attended by over 160 Bishops, has elected Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, the Major Archbishop Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, as the first Vice-President.

Archbishop Mar George Valiamattom of Thalassery Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church will be the second Vice-President and Rev. Albert D' Souza, Archbishop of Agra will serve as the Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops' Conference.