Narendra Modi meets Pope at Vatican, invites him to visit India | Europe to date | DW

Pope Francis welcomed the audience for about an hour with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Vatican this Saturday (10.30.2021) and he extended an invitation to India, the President of India said on his social networks. “I had a very cordial meeting with Pope Francis. I had the opportunity to discuss various issues with him and invited him to come to India,” read Modi’s Twitter account.

The Vatican said in a brief statement that “this brief conversation is centered on the good relations between the Holy See and India,” which limited itself to reporting that Modi and Foreign Secretary Pietro Parolin had a brief meeting on planning issues. . Modi arrived in Rome to attend the G20 summit, and then travels to Glasgow for the COP26 climate summit, which was certainly on the agenda of the meeting with Francisco today.

Prior to the climate summit, the pope of Argentina presented him with a bronze medal: “The desert will become a garden” and many other papal documents, including the message for this year’s Peace Day and the document on human brotherhood. Modi also presented a book on the silver candlestick and the country’s commitment to the environment to the Pope.

India considers the meeting with the Pope, who has repeatedly expressed his concern over the spread of the corona virus and violence against religious minorities, “very important”. Modi’s visit comes at a time when Christians in many parts of the country are complaining of harassment and attacks on the community and its institutions. While Muslims, who represent 14% of the population, face the most violence, Christians (2%) are also affected. (efe / afp)