Latest News:

First Indian Blessed Alphonsa To Be Canonised On Oct. 12
NEW DELHI, MAR. 02, 2008 (CBCI News):
Blessed Alphonsa from Kottayam, Kerala will be declared as a saint on Oct. 12 this year in the Vatican by Pope Benedict XVI. She will be the first Indian woman to be declared a saint.

v Pope urges Priests To Spread the "Joy of Christ"
VATICAN CITY, APR. 28, 2008, 09.20 Hrs (Zenit.org):
Pope Benedict XVI sent forth 29 newly ordained priests to spread the “joy of Christ” in a world that is “often sad and negative.”

v 'Catholic-Muslim Forum' To Be Launched, Forum’s First Seminar In Rome
VATICAN CITY, MAR. 06, 2008 (VIS):
In the light of the open letter "A Common Word" signed by 138 Muslim scholars, and of Pope Benedict XVI's response through Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., a delegation of five signatories of that letter met with five representatives of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue in the Vatican on 4 and 5 March.

v Hindu Gifts Flaming OM to Pope; “Our Dialogue Should Continue, Says Pope
ROME, APR. 22, 2008, 09.30 Hrs (SAR News):
Dr. Ravi Gupta, a professor of Hinduism at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia (USA), and a priest of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), presented a gift of an elaborate OM symbol to Pope Benedict XVI at an interfaith gathering in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Hindu American community April 17

v Abp Quevedo Re-elected As FABC Secretary General
BANGKOK, APR. 25, 2008, 09.20 Hrs (CBCI News/FABC):
Archbishop Orlando Quevedo was re-elected for another three-year term as secretary general of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference (FABC).

v Leaders Mourn Catholic Priest’s Death In a Mine Blast in Sri Lanka
NEW DELHI, APR. 22, 2008, 09.30 Hrs (CBCI News):
The Christian community in India has received with deep sorrow and grief the news of the death last Sunday of Sri Lankan Catholic Fr M X Karunaratnam, Chairman of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR) in the explosion.

v “Denial of Equal Rights To Dalit Christians Is Painful”: Cardinal Varkey
NEW DELHI, APR. 24, 2008, 09.50 Hrs (CBCI News):
“Prolonged denial of equal rights to Dalit Christians is painful,” declared President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil on Wednesday, Apr. 23 at the Community Hall, New Delhi

v Pope Appoints Indian As Member Of Vatican’s Laity Council
NEW DELHI, APR. 25, 2008, 09.20 Hrs (CBCI News):
Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Mr. Guilherme Vaz, Director of Education and Technology (IL&FS), Mumbai, as member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

Struggle For Equal Rights To Dalit Christians Reaches The Critical Stage, Say Leaders
HYDERABAD, FEB. 25, 2008, 10.30 Hrs (CBCI News):
The struggle for the equal rights of the Christians of Scheduled Caste origin is continuing for the last 58 years from the time the Constitution Order was promulgated by the President legitimizing their discrimination on the basis of religion. It has now reached a “now or never phase” forcing us to enter the “do or die stage”.

First Mother Teresa Humanitarian Awards To Be Presented On Tuesday
NEW DELHI, FEB. 24, 2008, 16.15 Hrs (CBCI News):
The first Mother Teresa International Humanitarian Award will be presented to Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director, UNAIDS, and Ambassador Dr. Mark Dybul, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, by Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, the immediate past President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, at a function to be held on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 in Delhi.

CBCI To Support Preparation Of Gender Policy And Promote Empowerment Of Women
JAMSHEDPUR, FEB. 21, 2008, 09.30 Hrs (CBCI News):
The 28th General Body Meeting of CBCI which concluded at Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur, on Feb. 20, committed itself to support the preparation of a gender policy and promote the empowerment of women both in the Church and society.

 (Courtesy - CBCI)