New Delhi: A delegation of Catholic bishops Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to invite Pope Francis at a time suitable to both the Indian government and the Vatican.
The delegation led by Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), met the premier to request him to personally lead the Indian delegation for the canonization of Mother Teresa scheduled for September 4 in Rome.
A press statement issued by CBCI spokesperson Fr Gyanprakash Topno said the prime minister “appreciated the sentiments of the bishops and assured that he would favorably consider” their requests.
Cardinal Cleemis was accompanied by CBCI secretary general Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas and deputy secretary general Monsignor Joseph Chinnayyan. They met the premier at his office in the Parliament.
The press release said Modi promised to consult with his colleagues regarding the invitation to the Pope.
The CBCI team renewed the Indian Church’s concern for Salesian Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who has been in the custody of Islamic terrorists of Yemen since March 4.
The CBCI delegation appreciated the steps taken by the India government to save the life of Fr. Uzhunnalil from the abductors. It requested that the prime minister personally intervene for the priest’s safe release.
The bishops welcomed the prime minister’s many initiatives to improve the standard of life of millions of Indian living in rural areas
The delegation assured the Catholic Church’s cooperation and participation in all government efforts to build a better India, the press statement said.
The Standing Committee of the bishops’ conference is meeting in New Delhi from April 27. The committee that meets twice a year takes all important decisions for the Church in India.