ASIA/INDIA – The National Federation of Churches in India aims to “address the country’s most pressing issues together”

Bangalore – The National Federation of Churches in India is the new national ecumenical body of Christian churches of all denominations in India. It was established on May 8 during the fourth national ecumenical meeting of bishops and Christian leaders in Bangalore. “It is a platform that will strengthen ecumenical dialogue by addressing the country’s most pressing issues and, as a united front, taking into account the concerns of the Christian community in India in the current context,” Father Anthoniraj Thumma, Secretary for Ecumenism at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and coordinator of the ecumenical meeting of Indian bishops, told Fides.
The new body has set itself the goal of “promoting communion and fraternity in the Lord Jesus Christ among bishops and church leaders at the national level. The establishment of the NFCI is a significant step toward Christian unity, a milestone in the ecumenical process, and a new chapter in the fraternity and solidarity of the churches in India,” according to a statement sent to Fides.
“Given the critical situation of the churches in India, which face numerous challenges and difficulties such as violence against priests, pastors, and faithful, strict anti-conversion laws in some states, and attempts to misappropriate church assets, there was an urgent need for a united front to address these problems. After two years of discussions about its establishment and the drafting of its guidelines, the NFCI has now been officially launched,” said Thumma.
The Federation will represent the churches in the public sphere and “present a unified image of Christianity and act as the voice of the Christian community to the country,” he added. “It will promote cooperation and strengthen the visible unity of the member churches, respecting their identity, traditions, and structures. It will also address the concerns of the churches and the Christian community in India.”
Compared to the existing forums and bodies of church communities in the country, the Federation is distinguished by the fact that “none of them comprehensively includes all churches”; furthermore, “it is dedicated exclusively to bishops and community leaders.”
The Federation’s first initiative was an ecumenical prayer service for Christian unity, based on the reflections prepared jointly by the Vatican Dicastery for Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches .
Cardinal Anthony Poola, Archbishop of Hyderabad and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, delivered the opening address at the inaugural meeting, who emphasized the pressing problems facing the Christian community and underscored the need for church unity to effectively address them. “It is important to reach out to one another and unite as Christians to gain a better understanding of the truth and to work together in a spirit of communion and fraternity.” Cardinal Anthony Poola was elected the first president of the new Federation.

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