PANAJI: Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), officially took charge as President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) on January 1, 2025. He succeeds Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, SDB, of Myanmar, who stepped down after his tenure as head of the Asian Church.
Cardinal Ferrão was elected to the role during the FABC Central Committee meeting held in Bangkok on February 22, 2024. The FABC represents bishops across South, Southeast, East, and Central Asia, including 277 Indian bishops from the Latin, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara Churches.
The federation comprises 15 Asian Catholic Bishops’ Conferences from countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines, along with associate members from regions like Macau, Mongolia, and Novosibirsk (Russia).
Joining Cardinal Ferrão in the leadership are Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kallokan, Philippines, as Vice President, and Archbishop Tarcisio Kikuchi of Tokyo, re-elected as Secretary General. Both were recently elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope Francis during the December 7, 2024, Consistory at the Vatican.
