Synod of Bishops started in Vatican

Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church on 7 October 2012 with the celebration of Holy Mass in the St. Peter’s square. The theme for the Synod is ‘The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith’. It will conclude on 27 October 2012.

His Holiness exhorted that since the number of faithful has been decreasing in Europe and obstructions arise in different parts of the world, Church require new Evangelization. Pope pointed out that matrimony and family life are the two main areas of new evangelization and the crisis in the faith and the crisis in family life are mutually related.

Out of the 12 delegates from India, eight are from Kerala. Delegates from Kerala are Cardinal George Alencherry of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Diocese, Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Catholicos of Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum, Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt of Palai, Bishop Stanley Roman of Kollam, Fr Jose Panthaplamthottiyil CMI, Fr Thomas Manjaly of Shillong, Sri Manoj Sunny of Jesus Youth, Sr. Rekha M Chennattu of Pune. Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi, Archbishop A Malayappan Chinnappa of Chennai, Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao of Goa are the other delegates from India.