Invitation a gift? P.M reserved the remark of Pope as invitation to India a gift to placard the catholic population indeed. THE invitation is a formal procedure from one Head of State to another In fact PM. Should consider warm audience with Pope as a gift to him Consider the incarceration in jail of Fr Stan at the age of 89 without even payroll on sick ground and who passed away in custody without anything being conclusively proved of being naxalite supporter. Remeber the horrific burning ,roasting alive of Steins, son and father duo, accusing of conversion ,even though they have rendered humanitarian aid in leprosy cases for a period of time and made India their home The contribution of mother Theresa ,a Nobel peace prize is reluctantly assumed accepted as a Indian Citizen Catholics have been systematically persecuted in many states alleging mainly about conversion by allurement etc.The Divine Retreat center catering to International community was hounded on financial irregularity. THE aniti conversion bill now Iin Karnataka is raising eyebrows of being targetted wrongly on asumption The demolition of selectively a catholic church in Delhi and vandalusatuon of Churches, statues, cemeteries, sacred and revered places of worship are an example of selective persecution and bias In Goa too we see bias towards functioning of catholic institutions and interference in appointments ,etc In employment too in Govt services there is definite bias against the community Catholic community has been doing yeoman social service providing aid to elders, running hospitals colleges and schools of repute and many other charitable works None OF POLITICAL luminaries in Govt and products of catholic institution have ever accused of being indirectly converted and they remain loyal to their faith, e.g Advani ,Parikar, shasi Tharoor etc Such activities instead of being appreciated and not looked upon with coloured blinkers calling it a ploy of conversion . .catholic community and institutions work with neglected tribals deprived of basic needs and ameolorating their conditions of health clothing, electricity water education and medical needs The Govt has been loath to provide statistics and complaints by individuals about forced conversions by inducement and alurement instead of just being speculative hypothetically. The contribution of 2.3 populations in nation building, armed forces is laudable to ludicrously deny their roll and doubt about national commitment and loyalty towards Nation The invitation if at all is only a mere diplomatic formality and nothing special to gloat about It remains to be seen when the Pope will visit in the near future The Pope visit to Oman and warm welcome and reception is praise worthy of recall.Thr Pope is universally considered to be a messenger of peace and good will and not a political The pilars of catholic community is love service, forgive and forget and revenge is not in their dictionary Nelson Lopes Chinchinim
