By Adolf Washington

Bengaluru, September 4, 2019: Archbishop Justin Welby, the spiritual head of the Anglican Church, was on September 3 felicitated at a public program at Bishop Cotton Boy’s School in Bengaluru.

Archbishop Welby is on a pastoral visit to India.

Catholic Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore, a special invitee and guest of honor, while greeting Reverend Welby said, “Christians may be a minority in this country but the majority still look up to us and need us for the service we render through our missions.”

Amid spontaneous round of applause, the Catholic prelate continued: “There is more common ground we share (Anglican and Catholic Churches) than differences.” Archbishop Machado was referring to the common missions the two Churches share in proclaiming the word of God, health, Education and special missions for the socially ostracized. He acknowledged the close association the two denominations share with each other.

Conveying the love of Catholics in the archdiocese, Archbishop Machado greeted the Archbishop of Canterbury with a bouquet, garland and draped him with a silk shawl.

Earlier in the program, Archbishop Machado was felicitated by the Karnataka Central Diocese of the Church of South India (CSI).

Archbishop Welby in his keynote address said he was “…Delighted to be here and I am going back challenged.” He added, “The missionaries who have toiled hard and with great zeal, have left behind legacies of faith both, through their preaching and through missionary activities.” He made special mention of the Jesuits.

Archbishop Welby made special reference of how “touched and moved” he was at the Vatican when Pope Francis knelt down and kissed the feet of political leaders of Sudan asking them to make peace with each other. “I saw the tears in their eyes,” the Anglican leader said.

“God’s timing is not ours,” Archbishop Welby said and added, “God works in and through us even in difficult times when we choose to be united always with the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit works in ways we cannot imagine when we resign to the will of God in all that we do.”

The program was attended by several bishops of the Anglican Church, officials of the Karnataka Central Diocese, pastors and laity. The public reception was hosted by Church of South India Bishop Prasana Kumar Samuel of Bangalore.

The program concluded with a prayer and benediction followed by the National Anthem.