Thrissur, March 17 (IVC) The Archbishop of Thrissur , Mar Andrewws Thazhath called upon the faithful to exercise their franchise without fail in the light of the elections to the 18th Lok Sabha.
It was stated in his pastoral letter dated March 07 read in all the churches under him during the mass today. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) at its 36th biennial general body meeting held in Bangalore from January 31 to February 07, 2024 had evaluated the social, political and cultural situation of the country today, the pastoral letter said.
The CBCI found that the democratic institutions in the country were being enfeebled, the federal system is restricted and unprecedented communal polarization was also on the rise.
Mar Andrews Thazhath was re-elected the President of the Catholic Bishops ‘ Conference of India, the apex decision making body of the Catholic church in India , for the second term of two more years at the Bangalore general body meeting of the CBCI.
The CBCI would observe Friday March 22 as Prayer day all over the country. The letter said that the Church was undergoing several challenges and it was high time to change them with sacrifices and the CBCI President reminded the faithful that there was no crown without cross.
Under the circumstances of communalism, atheism, fundamentalism, materialism and non chalance prevailing in the country, crisis in the faith was also going up beyond limit. The enemies of the church from inside and outside are making their earnest efforts to destroy the institution of Church. Hence it was the appropriate time to be more vigilant to protect it . “ We should think that our citizenship is in Heaven”, the pastoral letter said.
