ASIA/INDIA - Catholic Bishops’ Conference assembly closes with new appointments. Bishops demand education for disadvantaged people.

Bangalore (Fides Service) - During the assembly in Bangalore of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, which ended 15 February the bishops renewed the charges within their conference whose members of bishops of three Catholic rites, Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara.
Cardinal Telesphore Toppo archbishop of Ranchi was confirmed for another two years as chairman of the Bishops’ Conference, while Archbishop Stanislao Fernandez of Gandhinagar in Gujarat was voted secretary general for two years.
Other responsibilities assigned included Archbishop Oswald Gracias of Agra head of the Bishops’ Commission for Social Communications; Bishop Thomas Dabre of Vasai head of the Commission for Doctrine; Bishop Valerian D’Souza of Poona head of the Commission for Clergy and Religious; Bishop Gali Bali of Guntur head of the Commission for Dialogue and Ecumenism; Archbishop Callist Soosa Pakiam of Trivandrum head of the Commission for Lay Pastoral; Bishop Yvone Ambrosie of Tuticorin head of the Commission for Justice and Peace; Bishop Leo Cornelio of Khandwa will be head of the Bishops’ Commission for Youth Pastoral and the commission includes Ms Ashrita Arokiam from Hyderabad diocese, Andra Pradesh state, who is chairperson of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement.
The assembly of Bishops closed with a commitment to “build a new India, in which every young person is guaranteed education”, and where Dalits and no caste and all excluded people share in the development and public life of the country. The Bishops asked their Commission for Education and Culture headed by Bishop Thomas Menamparampil of Guwahati to draft a national education policy.
The Bishops reaffirmed the right of all disadvantaged people, Tribals, migrants, women, disabled persons, poor people non caste people to “participate in the country’s progress”, through adequate instruction which is the first means for social development. They confirmed the Church’s commitment to education: according to recent data the Church in India runs over 20,000 schools and the majority of the pupils are non Christians. (Agenzia Fides 17/2/2006 righe 27 parole 270)