The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) has appointed Indian priests as secretaries to two of its offices. Father Joseph Gonsalves of the Archdiocese of Bombay is the new executive secretary of the Office for Human Development (OHD). He will also serve as secretary of FABC Climate Change Desk. Salesian Father George Plathottam has been appointed the new executive secretary of FABC Office of Social Communication (OSC).
Father Gonsalves’ appointment comes in the wake of the sudden demise of Father Raymond O’Toole on January 5. He currently heads the Archdiocesan Office for Environment and the Mumbai Unit of Prison Ministry India. He is also a member of the Archdiocesan Commission for Justice and Peace and a resident professor at St Pius X College, Goregaon (E), Mumbai. Father Plathottam, a media practitioner who has headed national media offices in New Delhi, will take up his post in Manila, the Philippines, on March 22. The FABC-OSC is responsible for the Radio Veritas Asia, the only continental Catholic Radio service broadcasting in 22 languages of Asia for the past 50 years.
The FABC Central Committee finalized the appointments at a meeting in Rome on February 25. The two Indians will hold the posts for a period of four years. FABC brings together 19 bishops’ conferences of Asia as full members and 8 associate members. The federation’s purpose is to foster solidarity and co-responsibility among its members for the welfare of Church and society in Asia. Its purpose is to foster among its members solidarity and co-responsibility for the welfare of the Church and society in Asia and to promote and defend whatever is for the greater good.
Source: www.mattersindia.com
