Manipur Archbishop Organizes Pastoral Training for Kuki-Zo and Naga Church Leaders

Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal has called on Catholic priests, religious sisters and lay leaders to take part in a two-day residential program on pastoral accompaniment, as the Church responds to the emotional and spiritual needs of communities affected by prolonged ethnic violence in Manipur, northeastern India.

The program will be held separately for the Kuki-Zo and Naga Catholic communities at two locations. The Kuki-Zo session is scheduled for October 19–20 at St. Mary’s Parish in Tuibuang, Churachandpur district. A separate session for Naga Catholic priests, religious and lay leaders will take place at St. Paul Retreat House in Imphal, the state capital.

The initiative aims to provide pastoral leaders with opportunities for reflection, sharing and practical formation to help them accompany people experiencing grief, fear, trauma and uncertainty amid continuing tensions.

Resource persons from Bombay, also known as Mumbai, in western India, will lead the input sessions, offering guidance on strengthening pastoral ministry and responding to the spiritual and emotional needs of affected communities.

Archbishop Neli has appealed to Catholic leaders to participate wholeheartedly and use the program to deepen their commitment to pastoral service.

The initiative comes as the Church continues to minister amid the consequences of ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023. The unrest has caused deaths, displacement and the destruction of homes, disrupting community life across the state, including in areas with substantial Christian populations.

Further violence was reported in the hill districts in May 2025, while tensions and divisions have continued to pose challenges for communities seeking peace and stability.

The conflict has also complicated relationships among communities, including Christians from different ethnic backgrounds. Church leaders face the task of supporting people affected by violence while encouraging reconciliation and preserving unity within the Christian community.

Against this backdrop, the pastoral accompaniment program seeks to strengthen the capacity of priests, religious and lay collaborators to provide sustained spiritual and emotional support. Rather than limiting their response to immediate needs, the formation is intended to help pastoral leaders understand the experiences of affected families and accompany them with compassion and sensitivity.

For the Archdiocese of Imphal, the separate sessions for Kuki-Zo and Naga Catholic leaders provide a setting for addressing the pastoral challenges faced by the two communities while strengthening their leaders’ capacity to serve the faithful.

The initiative also reflects the Church’s wider mission to stand alongside people experiencing suffering and uncertainty, promote reconciliation and foster hope amid continuing unrest in India’s northeastern border state.