The defining principles of Christian life rest on the three paramount pillars, namely Bible, Catechesis and Liturgy. The Bible is an encounter with God to understand the revelation. He has given us to grow in faith. Catechetics is faith that is cherished, sustained and shared. It is an expression of God speaking to man through the sacred scripture. Liturgy is the celebration of this very faith.
To be a Christian one should at first have a personal encounter with the Risen Christ. Such an encounter leads one to a decision to commit him/her life to Christ through the acceptance of the Sacrament of Baptism, thereby becoming a member of the community of loving disciples of the Lord Jesus.
The Church aspires to react out to the young people of our times with compassion patience and love. Youth all over the world are going through different and difficult phases in life due to many reasons like broken homes, the shattering of moral values, the over powering desire for money, recreation and dominance have led many to become victims of alcohol, drugs, sex and other evils in society. The level of competition in the present day and age has been considered catastrophic to the mental and physical being of the young people ICYM is the largest premier Catholic Youth movement. It is spread over 170 dioceses in India spread across 627 districts of the country. In India but, even as a minority, the Pope encourages the Church which has a big responsibility, especially in teaching the next generation.
One of the most beautiful, intense and fulfilling human experiences is to form a family. In Christianity, the Family is sacred, and in the Catholic tradition, Marriage is a Sacrament “Since the creator of all things has established the conjugal partnership as the beginning and basis of human society and by his grace has made it a great Mystery (Sacrament) in Christ and the Church.(cfr. Eph.5:32), the apostolate of married persons and of families is of unique importance for the church and civil society. The family has received from God its mission to be the first and vital cell of society”. (Vat. II, A.A.11)
Healthy marriages and healthy families lead to healthy individuals and healthy societies. However, today in the modern world Marriage and family are greatly threatened and challenged by many disruptive forces such as polygamy, divorce, same-sex marriage, single parenthood, so called free love, excessive self-love, the idealizing of pleasure and the illicit use of birth control. Also disruptive are modern economic conditions, social and psychological influences, the demands of civil society, and problems resulting from population growth/explosion, especially in India.
The deliberations of the Synod members squarely revolved around the upholding of this supremely sacred institutions for the good of all society.
The establishment of vibrant SCCs in every parish as the New Way of Being Church, is possible by invigorating suitable animators at the parish level to proclaim and make the Word of God the center of the lives of every family. To create in the Archdiocese a communion of communities wherein the laity, religious and priests live as sisters and brothers in the church and sustain a deeper faith in God among all Christians to proclaim the love of Christ. At the national celebration of “Yesu Krist Jayanti 2000” where the Bishops, the priests, the religious and lay representatives gathered in Bangalore to mark the occasion of 2000th birth anniversary of Our Lord Jesus, they made a historic vision statement for the Church in India. A “new way of being Church in the third millennium would have to be a community of communities lived through Small Christian Communities. This realization was prompted by the experience of our parishes, as large institutions, for they lacked a firm foundation based on the Word of God and genuine fellowship and concern for those in need.
The aim of education is to facilitate national integration and development, by promoting cultures and values. The quality of life, dignity and self-respect of a person, the development of humankind depends largely upon the kind of education that is transmitted to young minds. The church has played an imperative role in this field. 25% of all educational services in India are rendered by the Catholic Church alone. The Catholic Church offers education which would ensure a holistic and integral development of students and focuses especially on empowering the unprivileged sections of society. Good education in turn provides an individual with an array of job opportunities and a chance for stable livelihood. Education strives to eradicate inequality by improving the living conditions and building a stronger nation.