Old Goa: Pope Francis has a great love for India and is open to the possibility of visiting the country in the future, archbishop Edgar Pena Parra, substitute of the Secretariat of the Vatican State, told TOI at Old Goa.
“During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last visit to the Holy Father, I know that they talked about this, and I think it’s pending. It’s always possible. PM Modi invited the Holy Father, and the Holy Father has a great love for India and is open to the possibility of coming to visit India when everything is ready. That will be very nice,” he said, responding to a question on whether there is a possibility of the Pope visiting India in the future if invited by central govt.
Substitute of the Secretariat of State (the Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, is the second in command after the Pope) Parra is part of a nine-member delegation visiting Goa for the 18th Exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier.
The delegation venerated the relics, visited the Museum of Christian Art and also the art exhibition, ‘Footprints of Hope’, at Old Goa on Tuesday.
St Francis Xavier is “one of the biggest missionaries that we have in the Church,” Parra told reporters. “Many years ago, he had the courage to come here to preach the Gospel,” Parra said. “In Asia and in the world, it’s still an important message for all of us to love and help one another and to do the best for one another. This is what brings us to Goa to pray before the relics of St Xavier.”
The delegation was earlier in Kerala for the episcopal ordination of cardinal-elect George Koovakad, an Indian Syro-Malabar Catholic priest who is the Coordinator of Apostolic Journeys (Pope’s Journeys) at the Vatican, responsible for organising Pope Francis’ international travels.