Sakal Times
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- CAMIL PARKHE
Sunday, 27 July 2014 - 11:26 PM IST
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Pune: United Christians, a city-based organisation, has urged local MP Anil Shirole to intercede on behalf of local Christians and invite Pope Francis to India on occasion of exposition of relics of St Francis Xavier in Goa this year.
In a memorandum submitted to Shirole, the members of the organisation said the Catholic community in the city and country was "saddened and disappointed" to learn that Pope Francis, the head of the Catholics in the world, was not visiting India to attend the exposition. The exposition of relics of St Francis Xavier, the 17th century Spanish Jesuit, is held in Goa every 10 years and is attended by a large number of Christians from all over the country and abroad.
The United Christians delegation that met Shirole included Francis Britto, Ashwin Rego, Sachin Ambrithraj and Peter D'Cruz.
The organisation has urged the Lok Sabha Member to intercede on behalf of Pune's 1.5 lakh Catholics with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to extend an invitation to Pope Francis, who is also head of the Vatican State, to visit India.
Peter D'Cruz told Sakal Times that Shirole handed over a copy of the memorandum to Swaraj in New Delhi on Saturday. The Union minister has assured him that she will look into the matter, Shirole informed representatives of the United Christians.
The Catholic Church last month officially confirmed that the Pope was not scheduled to visit Goa to attend the exposition. Incidentally, Goa Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when the latter visited Goa early last month. It was not known whether the issue of inviting the Pope to India during the exposition was discussed during the meeting.
Decennial exposition starts in November
The decennial exposition of the sacred relics of Goa's patron saint, St Francis Xavier, the 17th century Spanish Jesuit, will be held in Old Goa from November 22 this year to January 4, 2015.
Incidentally, Pope Francis himself is the first Jesuit, a member of the priests' congregation Society of Jesus, to be elevated to the Papacy.
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Vincent Bagul - Tuesday, 29 July 2014 - 10:48 AM IST
The United Christians should have sent their invitation directly to the Pope. Why do they have to ask the local MP to intervene? Does not the Pope listen to the Christian people? It is true that the Pope holds dual post as the Head of the Vatican State and as the Head of the Catholic Church. But the Christians are expecting the Pope in India only as the Head of the Catholic Church. If the Pope has interest in his faithful flock, he should come on his own. Why involve the Government of India?
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