Some
Photographs
and
Final Statement
Inaugural Procession
Inaugural Procession
Nuncio Abp. Pedro Lopez Quintana
lighting the lamp at the inaugural Eucharist
Concelebrants at the Eucharist
Dignitaries at the Inaugural Session:
L to R: Abp Jacob Thoomkuzhy, Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Cardinal
Telesphore Toppo, Abp Pedro Lopez Quintana, Bishop Percival
Fernandez, Abp Oswald Gracias and Abp Bernard Moras
CBCI President Cardinal Toppo at
dinner hosted by Bangalore Archdiocese
Abp Bernard Moras of Bangalore welcoming
Bishops at the public reception
CBCI President Cardinal Toppo offering souvenir
to Karnataka Governor Mr. T.N. Chaturvedi
Abp Bernard Moras of Bangalore
welcoming Karnataka CM
Mr. H.D. Kumaraswamy
at the public reception
Bishops concelebrating at the
open-air Eucharist
Congregation at the open-air Eucharist
New Team of Office Bearers of CBCI:
L to R:
Abp Stanislaus Fernandes (Secretary General),
Bp Gracian Mundadan (Vice President I),
Cardinal Telsphore Toppo (President),
Bp Isaac Mar Cleemis Thottunkal (Vice President II)
FINAL
STATEMENT
OF THE 27TH GENERAL BODY MEETING OF CBCI
St. Peter’s Seminary, Bangalore
Catholic
Education
and
the Church’s Concern to the Marginalized
We,
160 Bishops of India, gathered at St. Peter’s Pontifical
Seminary, Bangalore, for the 27th General Assembly of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), from 8th - 15th February
2006, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, spent three days
of our meeting in prayer, reflection and discussion on the theme:
Catholic Education and the Church’s Concern for the Marginalized”.
We were very ably assisted by the Conference of Religious of
India (CRI). Besides, the Catholic Council of India (CCI) had
also discussed this theme during its Plenary Assembly, and shared
with us its recommendations. At the end of our deliberations,
we address this Message to our faithful and to all people of
goodwill.
1. Education has always been an important part of the Church’s
mission. The Vatican Council Document on Education states: “The
Church as a mother is under an obligation to provide for her
children an education by virtue of which their whole lives may
be inspired by the Spirit of Christ. At the same time, she will
offer its assistance to all peoples for the promotion of a well-balanced
perfection of the human personality, for the good of society
in this world and for the development of a world more worthy
of man” (Gravissimum Educationis, 3).
2. Keeping in mind the words of Jesus that He has come to give
life and life in abundance (John 10/10), education, from the
standpoint of Christian faith, aims at the all-round formation
of the human person with a view to empowering the person to
create a society inspired by the Gospel values of service in
love, peace rooted in justice and fellowship based on equality.
This education is meant to lead a person to an ever-greater
openness to the transcendent – for us Christians to God
become one-of-us in Jesus Christ. Hence, one of the important
aims of Catholic education is faith-formation, deepening the
Christian’s commitment to Jesus in His Church.
3. The Church in India has been striving to impart this all-round
formation in various ways and various fora. In a special way,
the Church is doing so through her network of educational institutions.
At present, the Church conducts 20,370 educational institutions
in India. According to statistics available to us from a recent
survey conducted in preparation for the CBCI Meeting, 58.5%
of these institutions are in the rural areas and 54.4% of students
in our institutions are girls. It is significant that the vast
majority of our students are children of other faiths. By imparting
a sound character formation and by striving to promote harmony,
understanding and a quest for excellence through our educational
institutions, the Church renders a service not only to Christians,
but also to the nation as a whole.
4. Along with our educational institutions, our Diocesan Social
Service societies are doing much work in the field of non-formal
education. Several Christian NGOs are involved in educating
the physically handicapped and others who need special attention.
5. While the Church in India has reason to be grateful to God
for its achievements in the field of education, we felt the
need of a greater focusing of the Church’s educational
efforts in view of the situation prevailing in the country wherein
millions of people are getting increasingly marginalized.
6. By ‘marginalized’ we refer specially to dalits,
tribals and economically weaker sections of society, the migrants
and displaced, the girl-child, slow learners and differently-abled
people. Marginalization has been a phenomenon in our country
from very early days, especially as a result of the caste-system.
Caste discrimination still continues in our country, and sadly
has its repercussions on the Church. As bishops, we re-iterate
our strong condemnation of this as sinful. Marginalization has
been further increased by various factors, the latest being
globalization as a result of which millions of people are rendered
poor and deprived of the basic necessities of life.
7. Education is the key to empowering the marginalized so that
they can enjoy their God-given dignity. The government’s
educational effort should, in a special way, be concentrated
on the weaker sector of the people. Hence, we strongly urge
that government funding in this area be greatly enhanced, and
that government make available to the underprivileged facilities
to get the benefits of a quality education. The Church, on her
part, as always, will fully cooperate with the Government in
this effort.
8. As Church, in imitation of Jesus who made a preferential
option for the poor, we commit ourselves to focus particularly
on the marginalized to enable them to take their rightful place
in the life of the country and make their contribution to the
progress of the nation. Hence, as a body, the CBCI has decided:
Ø 1. to ensure that every Catholic child has a place
in our educational institutions. No Catholic child, dalit/tribal
or otherwise, should be deprived of quality education because
of a lack of means. We keep in mind that a Catholic School has
a special obligation to cater to Catholic children.
Ø 2. to establish more hostels/boarding houses,
especially in rural areas, since these have proved very effective
in imparting a sound education to the marginalized.
Ø 3. to ensure that every Catholic educational institution
has a special concern for the marginalized, especially the girl-child.
If necessary for this, modification will be made in our admission
policy. Those disadvantaged, socially, physically or intellectually,
will be specially assisted so that they can be integrated into
the educational system. We make this preferential option, even
if in this process academic results suffer. All Catholic schools
whether run by our dioceses, the religious, corporate bodies
or individuals, are expected to participate in this project.
We deplore all attempts to commercialize education. In particular,
we will not accept capitation fees. We urge Government to lay
down a just fee structure so as to obviate the need of taking
capitation fees and other donations.
4. to identify talented children from the marginalized communities
with a view to preparing them for higher and professional education.
Among them, we hope to train a select group for social and political
leadership.
5. to make this possible, dioceses and religious congregations
will set aside funds. Well-established schools should support
economically weaker ones.
9.
All our institutions will immediately start implementing these
proposals. Further, with a view to giving our educational apostolate
a decided thrust towards the marginalized, this General Assembly
of the CBCI lays down that within a year, a National Education
Policy for the Church be drawn up, taking into account the deliberations
at this Meeting. The CBCI Commission for Education and Culture
is hereby entrusted with this task. In the preparation of this
Policy, it will take the help of SC/ST/BC Commission and the
Justice, Peace and Development Commission as well as the CRI
and others engaged in education. Once this Policy is approved,
all the educational institutions are expected to implement it.
The Policy will contain a Monitoring System to ensure its implementation.
10. On the occasion of this General Assembly, the bishops would
like to address some specific groups:
o 1. To the parents: you are the first educators of your children.
Our institutions exist to assist you in fulfilling your God-given
responsibility and need your whole-hearted cooperation. We urge
you to use all the facilities we offer to carry on your mission.
o 2. To our priests, religious and lay faithful involved in
the management of our educational institutions; to the principals
and teachers: we are deeply appreciative of your dedicated efforts
to bring the best out of our children, especially those who
need more assistance. We encourage you to continue your dedicated
service despite obstacles.
o 3. To all our students: you are the hope of society and the
future of the nation. Make full use of the opportunities
offered by our institutions to help you grow, live a fuller
life and build a better tomorrow for all including those less
fortunate than you.
o 4. To our lay faithful who in various ways aid our people,
financially and otherwise, in the process of education, we express
our sincere gratitude. Continue to be involved in this
process for the service of our people.
o 5. To all people of goodwill: we invite you to join hands
with us in the building up of our nation. India has great potential.
Together we can make it happen.
6. A special word to those who suffer any form of discrimination:
Deeply pained by the unjust situation in which you are, the
Church commits herself to make concerted efforts, together with
you, to combat this injustice and create a brighter tomorrow
for all of us.
Building a New India, where every child is educated, where the
marginalized are empowered, where the educational system seeks
to transform society, is our dream. We are confident that with
the help of God, the dedicated service of our priests, religious
and lay faithful, and the collaboration of all, this dream will
become a reality. May Mary, Seat of Wisdom, help us in this
endeavour.
Bangalore, 15th February 2006
