Second national ecumenical bishops’ fellowship consultation held in India

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) convened the second national ecumenical bishops’ fellowship and consultation meeting on May 9, 2025, from 03.00 to 05.30 p.m. at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences (SJNAHS) in Bengaluru, south India.

As many as 35 archbishops, bishops, church heads, and delegates of various churches and Christian denominations participated in the fellowship meeting. 

Its purpose was to foster unity and communion among the churches and thus strengthen the ecumenical movement in India. It also included a consultation on the CBCI proposal of establishing a federation of churches at the national level with the presidents, moderators, metropolitans, heads of councils, and synods of major churches.

The meeting began with the opening hymn, “We are One in the Spirit …,” and the Ecumenical Prayer Service for Christian Unity adapted from the Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for the year 2025, jointly prepared and published by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches (WCC). 

The theme chosen for 2025 is “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26) to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council held in Nicaea, near Constantinople, in 325 AD. 

During the service, a prayer intention was raised for the victims of the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan and the return of normalcy and peace between them. 

After this, homage was paid to Pope Francis, an ecumenical bridge builder. A prayer was led by Bishop Akhlesh Edgar, general secretary of the Council of Evangelical Churches in India (CECI). 

The participants also prayed for the new Pope Leo XIV, who joined the prayer led by Rev. Lunmang Haokip, executive member of the Council of Kuki Worship Services. 

The welcome and inaugural address was given by Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, president of CBCI, who emphasized the urgency of working together.  

Considering the increasing attacks on Christians by right-wing Hindu groups, he asserted that unity and collaboration are crucial. 

The presentation of the minutes of the last National Ecumenical Bishops’ Fellowship meeting held on September 13, 2024, was done by Fr. Dr. Anthoniraj Thumma, the coordinator of the National Ecumenical Bishops’ Fellowship. 

It was followed by the keynote address delivered by Bishop Joshua Mar Ignatius, Chairman of the CBCI Office for Dialogue and Desk for Ecumenism, on the CBCI proposal of establishing a national federation of churches comprising the bishops and church heads. 

The delegates took the proposal up for deliberation in the open house ecumenical dialogue.

While the need for a national ecumenical federation of the bishops and church heads was accepted and affirmed by many delegates, it was felt that its guidelines needed to be worked out. There is a need to clarify its relationship with existing national ecumenical bodies such as the National United Christian Forum (NUCF). 

In his concluding remarks, CBCI president Thazhath, who chaired the meeting, summarized the consensus decision that there could be one national apex body and others could function as subsidiaries under its umbrella.

It was decided to hold some programs to mark the Jubilee 2025 and the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea and Nicaean Creed on September 11–12, 2025, along with the next national ecumenical bishops fellowship meeting. 

After the vote of thanks proposed by Fr. Anthoniraj Thumma, secretary of the CBCI Office for Dialogue and Desk for Ecumenism, the meeting ended by singing the hymn “Bind Us Together…” and the benediction given by Thazhath. The fellowship meeting provided the joy of coming together as disciples of the Lord Jesus to the participants, who carried with them the experience of feeling, "How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Ps 133:1).