By Nirendra Dev
PM Narendra Modi joined the illustrious club of Jawaharlal Nehru, I K Gujral and Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had called on the Popes of their respective time during the visit to the Vatican City.
Ending speculation Mr Modi on Saturday invited Pope Francis, the head of Catholic global leadership, to visit India.
“Had a very warm meeting with Pope Francis. I had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues with him and also invited him to visit India,” Modi tweeted. There was also a bear hug !!
“A meeting that was scheduled only for twenty minutes went on for an hour!
PM Modi and the Pope discussed a wide range of issues aimed at making our planet better such as fighting climate change and removing poverty”, an informed source said.
It has been argued in more ways than one that a well known Hindu zealot, Prime Minister Modi has been ‘reluctant’ to invite the head of the global Catholic Church to India.
India – of course a Hindu majority nation of 1.35 billion, houses about 30-32 million Christians.
Of them an estimated 60 per cent of whom are Catholics.
Modi’s visit to the Vatican City came at a time when Christians as well as Muslims minorities in India have been complaining of harassment and assaults on the community and churches.
Beef eating, considered a normal and staple food for Christians and Muslims are discouraged by Hindu groups and often they have indulged in violence against the two religious minority groups.
However, there was enthusiasm when the news spread that PM Modi would be in the Vatican City to meet Pope Francis on the sidelines of his attending the crucial G-20 Summit.
Modi, who was at the receiving end of a campaign for being anti-Muslim, is in Italy at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi for the G-20 Summit.
The president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference, Cardinal George Alenchery, said that PM Modi’s visit would “add more energy and warmth to the relations between our country and the Vatican and the Catholic Church”.
Prior to the meeting between PM Modi and the Pope, India’s Foreign Secretary and a trusted aide of Modi in running the country’s foreign policy, Harsh V Shringla, told reporters:”The Vatican has not set an agenda. I believe, tradition is not to have an agenda when you discuss issues with His Holiness. And I think we would respect that”.
Shringla also has said – “I am sure the issues would cover a range of areas of interest in terms of the general global perspectives and issues that are important to all of us, COVID-19, health issues, how we can work together, how we can work together to maintain peace and tranquillity”.