THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Church officials in India, including a Goan bishop, have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to invite Pope Francis to visit India, while also appealing to him to lead Indian delegation for canonization of Mother Theresa in Rome later this year.
Office-Bearers of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) headed by its President, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis and accompanied by the Secretary General Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas and the Deputy Secretary General, Msgr. Joseph Chinnayyan, met the Prime Minister in his office in the Parliament.
According to reports from the CBCI, the delegation requested Modi to invite the Pope to visit India at a convenient date, suitable to both the Government of India and the Vatican.
“The prime minister assured the delegation that he would seriously look into the matter, consult with his colleagues and will do the needful.”
“Cardinal Baselios Cleemis also requested the Prime Minister to personally lead the Indian delegation for the canonization of Mother Theresa, to be held in Rome on September 4. The prime minister appreciated the sentiments of the bishops and assured that he would favourably consider the proposal,” the CBCI stated.
While appreciating and thanking the Government of India its efforts so far to save the life of Fr Tom Uzunnalil from the ISIS abductors, the CBCI delegation requested Modi to personally intervene for the safe release of Fr Uzhunnalil.
The CBCI Delegation welcomed the many initiatives of the prime minister to make India self-reliant and to improve the standard of life of millions of the Rural and Weaker Sections of the Society.
The Delegation assured Modi full cooperation and participation in all the efforts of the present Government, towards building of a better India.
