The fourth day of the 29th Plenary Assembly of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) began with an exhortation of the Archbishop leo Cornelio to families, to respect unity, purity and propriety of marriage.
He said, “Couples must respect the sacrament of marriage, and live their commitment in perfect faithfulness.”With reference to the example of cruelty of King Herod in the Bible, he explained: “A cruelty done to others inflicts our conscience and our soul. Fear destroys peace of mind and peacefulness of family; and which in turn divides family.”He added: “Marriage is easily broken today due to faithlessness of couples and wrong understanding and interpretation of freedom. The children would be the victims of the negligence of husband and wife towards their marital duties.”
Highlighting the importance of sacrificial love in the families the Archbishop said, “To live a joyous family life, the couples must imbibe the love of Jesus that forced him to sacrifice his life to save the humanity. Sacred familial bond is nurtured and strengthened only by the readiness of couples to sacrifice one’s own interests urged by true love.” “The prophetic courage and commitment to witness to the Gospel values are our irrevocable responsibility as leaders of the Church,” he concluded.
A Family Commission App is launched for android phones by the CCBI family commission. The commission for women tries to help the women who are deprived of their basic human rights and education through church and other agencies. Women who are facing threats and violence in families, schools, colleges, at work places and roads are educated and empowered through various programmes.
Appreciating the contribution of CCBI commission for women, His Eminence Cardinal Oswald said, “The continuous reminders and steps undertaken by the church, brought out change in the attitude of people. Today no one will dispute regarding the need for women empowerment.”
A cultural programme was organised in the evening, in BSSS College to honour the CCBI participants from all over the country.