Pope’s wish to visit India comes true. Pope Francis may visit India next year. He announced this while returning to Rome after visiting Congo and South Sudan. It is indicated that the central government has officially invited the Pope. An official invitation is essential because the Pope also has the status of head of state. Pope Francis has not been able to come to India until now because he did not get it. There are also plans to visit Mongolia this year. Pope Francis will be the first Pope to visit Mongolia. In South Sudan, the Pope preached at a mass attended by about 100,000 people at the tomb of John Garang, the leader of the independence movement. After this, the possibility of reaching India next year was explained. The country is going into general elections next year. Therefore, the time when the Pope will arrive is also decisive. The central government is making efforts to bring Christians closer to the BJP. It is during this time that the Pope will come to India. There are certain conventions that are followed for the Pope’s visit to any country. This includes avoiding visits to countries with general elections within a year. Therefore, the question of whether the Pope will come after the election is also raised. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited the Pope to India. Pope Francis accepted the invitation. After that, it is indicated that the official invitation has also reached the Vatican. A Pope is coming to India after two decades. Pope John Paul II was the last to visit India in 1999. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally agreed to the demand raised by the Catholic Church in the country years ago. In 2014, the then president of CBCI, Major Archbishop Cardinal Mar Baselios Clemis, led this demand to the Prime Minister. Last January, when the Cardinals of the Church raised the demand again, the Prime Minister made it clear that he had the wish of the Church in mind. The Pope also expressed his interest in visiting cardinals from India. Meanwhile, the Pope visited Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The Global Sikh Council had invited the Pope to India in July 2019 to participate in the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak. As a follow-up to the Prime Minister’s invitation, the officials of both the countries will now hold talks. Date of visit, places to visit etc. should be considered. This process will take several months. There will also be consultations with the church leadership about the programs planned to be held in India in relation to the Catholic Church. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pope Francis met at the Vatican. Pope Francis has often expressed his interest in coming to India. This is the reality.
