PANAJI
There is lack of clarity over the visit of Pope Francis to Goa and India as whole as the Central government seems to have not shown any interest, so far, for an official invite to the Vatican.
This is despite the fact that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant through an official communication had requested the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to invite the Vatican leader to India stating Goa would like to host the Pope for the upcoming Exposition of St Francis Xavier, scheduled from November.
India’s absence from Pope’s on-going Southeast Asia itinerary, released by the Vatican, has left the Goa government disappointed. Despite his repeated visits to Asia, Pope Francis has never visited India.
Highly placed sources informed that nearly two months back the Chief Minister in an official communication to PMO had requested that Pope be invited to India and Goa visit should be included. Sawant had expressed willingness to host the Pope for the decennial Exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier which is a 45-day event.
“However, there is no communication received from the Centre so far. There is absolutely no clarity on whether the Centre has invited the Pope. At least, Goa government has no news on his possible visit to India and the coastal State,” sources said adding ‘Union Ministry for External Affairs is learnt to have not sent an official invite to the Vatican so far’.
In 2021, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced he had invited Pope Francis to visit India. Modi renewed the invitation when he met with the Pope in June, this year, on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy.
The last Pope to visit India was Pope John Paul II who visited the country in 1999 while Pope John Paul II had visited Goa in 1989.
In 2016, the pope was said to be “almost sure” to visit India, but the Vatican dropped the plan stating less than enthusiastic response from the Indian government.
In October 2021, it was reported that he had “accepted” an invitation from Modi. But as is apparent now, nothing came of it.
