National Synodal Assembly to Chart Course for the Church in India’s Future Mission
Bangalore will host the Catholic Church in India’s National Synodal Assembly from May 1–3, 2026. Centered around the theme “Synodal Pilgrims of Hope,” the assembly aims to further integrate synodality into the Church’s mission and operations within India.
This assembly is part of the global synodal process initiated by Pope Francis in 2021. This worldwide effort has encouraged the Church to contemplate how its members can collectively advance in communion, participation, and mission. In India, this process has involved consultations at diocesan, regional, and national levels.
The National Synodal Assembly will include approximately 220 Church leaders: 2 Cardinals, 25 bishops, 66 priests, 20 religious sisters, 49 women leaders, 43 lay leaders, and 15 youth leaders from across India. The assembly’s composition underscores the commitment to enhance the role of the laity and broaden the involvement of all members in the Church’s activities, with laypersons comprising 107 of the delegates.
A key precursor to the assembly was the publication of the CCBI Pastoral Plan in 2024, entitled “Journeying Towards a Synodal Church: Mission 2033.” This document advocates for pastoral renewal through enhanced communion, shared responsibility, and a reinvigorated missionary spirit.
Further guidance came from the 36th Plenary Assembly of the CCBI, held in Bhubaneswar from January 28 to February 4, 2025. The assembly’s final document, “Pilgrims of Hope: Discerning the Synodal Path,” identified sixteen pastoral priorities to guide the Church in India in practicing synodality.
From these priorities, four themes were chosen for in-depth discussion during the National Synodal Assembly: interreligious dialogue and peace building; inclusion of the excluded; poverty and integral ecology; and accompanying children and youth.
The theme of interreligious dialogue and peace building recognizes India’s religious diversity, with the Church seeking to foster mutual respect, understanding, and collaboration with people of other faiths.
The theme of including the excluded reflects the Church’s commitment to supporting marginalized members of society, both within and outside the Church.
The theme of poverty and integral ecology, inspired by Laudato Si’, addresses the need to respond to both the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth through initiatives promoting justice, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.
The theme of accompanying children and youth, guided by Christus Vivit, focuses on listening to young people, supporting their faith development, and encouraging their participation in the Church’s mission.
The assembly will employ spiritual conversation, a method used extensively in the universal Church’s synodal process, which promotes prayerful listening, reflection, and communal discernment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The National Synodal Assembly will also assess the progress of synodal implementation in India since 2021 and consider the Church’s future mission, focusing on enhancing participation, inclusivity, and missionary work.
Discussions will also look ahead to the Jubilee year 2033, commemorating two thousand years of the mystery of Redemption. The assembly will explore the future direction of the Church in India and how its pastoral vision can address contemporary challenges.
Participants will consider how the CCBI Pastoral Plan can be translated into practical actions at diocesan, regional, and national levels, emphasizing strengthening collaboration among bishops, priests, religious members, and laypersons, as well as increasing the participation of women and young people in the Church’s mission.
The synodal journey will extend beyond the May assembly, with a broader consultation involving key Church stakeholders scheduled for September 12–14, 2026. This phase will gather further insights from pastoral leaders and consider reorganizing the CCBI Commissions.
The outcomes of these consultations will be presented at the 38th Plenary Assembly of the CCBI, to be held in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu, from January 18–26, 2027. The bishops will review the recommendations and make final decisions regarding the implementation of the synodal vision in the Church in India.
Through prayer, dialogue, and shared discernment, the National Synodal Assembly aims to reinforce the commitment of the Church in India to work together as the People of God, bearing witness to the Gospel as synodal pilgrims of hope.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara