PANAJI
Goan Church leaders have welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's favourable attitude towards the proposed visit of Pope Francis in India sometime this year.
Responding to the pope's desire to visit India sometime this year, a group of cardinals representing the Church in India had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this connection on Tuesday.
During his interaction with the Indian cardinals, the prime minister also informed the cardinals that his government had a favourable attitude towards the visit of Pope Francis in India, stated a release by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI).
Welcoming the prime minister's favourable attitude towards the proposed visit of Pope Francis in India, Fr Victor Ferrao, professor at Rachol Seminary said: “‘Suswagatham’ is the fundamental ethos of our country. The openness of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the visit of the Holy Father Pope Francis is in keeping with the glorious traditions of hospitality to the guest and is in tune with our ancient belief ‘atithi devo bhava’ (guest is equivalent to God).”
“The visit of the Holy Father to our country will certainly revitalize our catholic community and bring about greater national integration of all in our plural society,” Fr Ferrao added.
When contacted, Goan Bishop and CBCI Secretary General Theodore Mascarenhas said he was hopeful that the papal visit to India could take place this year.
“The pope's visit to India would send the right signal that the Modi government has an inclusive approach to all religions and communities, and more so, the Catholic Church in India, given its immense contribution to various sectors in the country,” said Bishop Mascarenhas.
Prior to Pope Francis' desire to visit India, the demand for a papal visit to India had been initiated by the leaders of the Catholic Church in India, when a delegation led by Cardinal Baselios Cleemis had met Modi in Delhi on April 25 and had urged him to invite Pope Francis to visit India.
Cardinal Cleemis told the media later that the April meeting with Modi was “pleasant and positive” and that, he would “favourably consider” their requests.
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QUOTE ROOM:
"We are happy that the Prime Minister of India is keen to open the doors to the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to our country. His visit will assist us to live the karuna values enshrined in the spiritual traditions of our country.”
- Fr George Dias, Rachol Seminary
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“We are grateful to the prime minster for showing his openness to invite the Holy Father to visit our country. We are sure that this visit will bring blessings to all our countrymen.”
- Fr Alban Fernandes, Holy Cross Shrine, Bambolim
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“I welcome the prime minister's favourable approach to let the Holy Father visit our country. It will deepen the understanding of Catholicism and other faiths in our country and bring peace to all.”
- Fr Noel Decosta, Rachol Seminary and Convenor of Diocesan Committee for Inter-Religious Dialogue.
