The 29th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) is scheduled to be held from 31st January to February 8 at the Pastoral Centre, Ashaniketan Campus, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

The Archdiocese of Bhopal under the leadership of its Metropolitan Archbishop Most leo Cornelio SVD is hosting the assembly.

 While talking to media persons here on Monday, eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracious, the president of CCBI and the Archbishop of Mumbai, briefed about the proceedings, objectives, the background of the theme and outcome of the 29th plenary session of CCBI.

 The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) is the Canonical National Episcopal Conference.

It is the largest Bishops Conference in Asia and the fourth largest in the world. It consists of 132 dioceses and has 182 bishops.

 The Assembly will deliberate on the theme ‘Promoting the Joy of love in Our Families’.

 The chief resource person and the keynote speaker of the assembly is His Eminence lorenzo Cardinal Baldisseri, Secretary General, Synod of Bishops who is well known for his knowledge of Indian as well as world situation of families and an expert on the document Amoris laetitia (the apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis on families).

 He added that the 29th plenary session of CCBI aims at helping at families to face the challenges and difficulties of the family in India such as poverty, education, jobless and injustice etc. although there is no alarming situation as crisis. It aims at enabling the families to become better and holier. So the conference focuses on the spirituality of the families so that renewed families can transform church and society in turn.