QUESTION: What will be the prospect of Pope Francis visiting India in the near future?

ANSWER: Pope Francis had always expressed his wish to visit India and has been always very eloquent talking about the Indian culture and religion, in particular about the Church in India. As a Jesuit, India is an important country where there are numerous members of the Society and the tomb of St Francis Xavier. Time and again the Indian Hierarchy has invited the Holy Father to India, individually and collectively, informally and formally. Though we distinguish bet-ween State visit and Pastoral visit of the Holy Father to a country, often the past-oral dimension of the papal visit assumes a greater dimension. The Indian Churches cherish colourful memories in the historic visits of Pope Paul VI and Saint Pope John Paul II. Usually, though a protocolary visit to the Head of the State and Government is customary, pastoral visits to the Christian communities attracts multitudes of faithful. Pope Francis, as other Popes always gives sufficient space during the visit to meet with representatives of other religions and Christian leaders. In a vast country like India, such pastoral visits need to cover different cities, which must be prepared well and in advance. In the current situation of Covid-19 constraints, such mass gatherings are un-thinkable. With Pope Francis, who has impressed the world with many positive surprises one cannot write off the possibility of such a visit to India even in the Covid-19 situation. However, thinking in conventional terms of a papal pastoral visits, such a visit to an assembly of faithful counting up to one hundred, may not be probable.

Abp Kuriakose Bharanikulangara
Faridabad