Introduction : The Catholic Council of India, known as CCI, was established by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) on 12th January, 1993. It is a sign of unity and mission of the Church in our country.
St. Paul in his first Letter to the Corinthians says that all the faithful are called to share in the life of the Church, and to live their membership, each one according to his/her particular vocation. (1 Cor 12, 7). The Vatican Council II spoke of the importance and role of the People of God: “The people of God believe that it is led by the Spirit of the Lord who fills the whole world. Moved by that faith, it tries to discern in the events, the need and the longings which it shares with other men of our time, what may be genuine signs of the presence or of the purpose of God” (Gaudium et Spes, 11). For this reason, the Catholic Council of India has been established so that all sections of the people of God may come together to discern the Father’s will for the Church in India.
History : The Catholic Council of India (CCI) has evolved from the ‘Follow-Up Committee’ of the All India Seminar on the Church in India Today (1969), and from the National Advisory Council (NAC). It has as its goal the renewal and mission of the Church in the Holy Spirit, discerning the signs of the times, in the light of the Vatican II. The Council desires to nurture the movement towards a truly participatory Church where all sections of the people of God, revitalizing their baptismal grace, fulfill their vocation and mission.
Since the establishment of the CCI in 1993, it had been functioning under the “Working Norms”. Then in 2001 a Committee, headed by the Deputy Secretary General of the CBCI, was formed to rework these ‘Norms’ in order to change them into permanent Statutes. Now with the promulgation of its Statutes, the Catholic Council of India has got a renewed identity and together with it also a renewed responsibility. The members of the CCI are urged to continually study the Statutes and make the spirit behind its Statutes a reality in our country in the common responsibility of all Catholics to establish the Kingdom of God in India.
The Church as Communion : The ‘Church as communion’ demands an active participation of the bishops, priests, religious and laity as a team at all levels of its functioning so that the Catholic Council of India may truly be a ‘Church in Council’ in our country. This fellowship must be exercised and developed through existing structures of participation such as Parish Pastoral Councils and Diocesan Pastoral Councils, and where necessary through new structures. There must be a readiness to share responsibilities and, where necessary and desirable, to delegate responsibility. This demands an attitude of trust in one another. This spirit of co-responsibility and sharing belongs to the very nature of the Church as communion. The participation and collaboration of all the faithful, the Laity, Religious and Priests is indispensable, if we are to be the one people of God. This attitude must permeate all persons and institutions in the Church.
Aims and Objectives :
The CCI is a body, religious and charitable in nature and established by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), comprising representatives of laity, religious, priests and bishops, who come together in the Spirit of the Lord, to pool their experiences, reflections and suggestions on the vital issues concerning the Church and the country, so that all in the Church may engage themselves in common action to carry out Christ’s mission ever more relevantly in our country.
To achieve this objective, it will do whatever is desirable, keeping in mind the teachings of the Gospel and of the Church, and the demands of common law. It will respect the legitimate autonomy of other ecclesial organization, nurture their endeavours and be at their service so that the Church may give powerful witness to Jesus in our country.
Functions :
Though the Catholic Council of India does not have any legislative authority, its conclusions and recommendations are directed to the entire Church. The implementation of its recommendations is primarily the responsibility of the concerned ecclesiastical authorities and, at their level, of the members of the CCI. Though the implementation of its recommendations is expected, the Council cannot legally enforce such implementation.
Website :
www.www.ccisite.org
The Executive Committee :
The following are the members of the present Executive Committee: