In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the top body of bishops requested him to invite the pontiff at an appropriate time, suitable to all concerned.
CBCI deputy secretary general Fr. Joseph Chinnayan and Oscar Fernandes,union minister for surface transport and highways met the prime minister at his office today and handed over the formal request to him.
The four Cardinals from India, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Cardinal George Alencherry and Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, met Pope Francis on different occasions in Vatican and invited him to visit India.
The Pope showed interest in visiting India but the formal invitation has to come through the Indian government with pope being the Head of the State of Vatican, a press statement issued by the CBCI stated.
The recently-concluded CBCI Plenary Assembly at Palai, Kerala, discussed the prospectus of Pope’s visit to India and decided to approach the government to invite the pope.
The prime minister told the delegation that his Government will do whatever needed to invite the pope to visit India.
Singh also said that Pope Francis is an outstanding personality of our times and India will be honored by the visit of such a great person.
Courtesy: CBCI
photo : google
Inviting HH Pope Francis to India, before a Government change, would be a tremendous boost to not only India's image and India's Christians, but to the 4 Indian Cardinals, who invited His Holiness to our Motherland !! It could set an example to our "disturbed WORLD" that SECULARISM is still very much alive and working.JAI HIND.
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