Pope Has Authority To Speak For Religious Freedom: Cardinal Dias It Is Not Interference In Internal Affairs Of The Country
By SAR NEWS MUMBAI, Maharashtra (SAR NEWS) -- Cardinal Ivan Dias of Bombay has asserted that Pope Benedict XVI has the authority to take up the cause of the persecuted Christians in India and other countries and it did not amount to interference in the internal affairs of any country. In a June 13 press statement, Cardinal Dias, the newly appointed head of Vatican's Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples, said the Pope's recent remarks on freedom of religion in India had unnecessarily raised hue and cry from some politico-religious groups. He said the important dual role of the Pontiff has to be understood clearly as head of the Holy See, the Vicar of Christ on earth and head of the Vatican City-State, as a first citizen. The Pope had recently told India's new ambassador to the Vatican Amitava Tripathi that "the disturbing signs of religious intolerance which have troubled some regions of the nation, including the reprehensible attempts to legislate clearly discriminatory restrictions on the fundamental right of religious freedom, must be firmly rejected as not only unconstitutional, but also as contrary to the highest ideals of India's founding fathers, who believed in a nation of peaceful coexistence and mutual tolerance between different religions and ethnic groups." Cardinal Dias said the Pope's remarks on freedom of religion in India were wrongly interpreted as "intruding into the internal affairs of a sovereign nation and for acting ultra vires as the head of the Vatican City-State". "The Holy See has existed ever since Peter was mandated by Christ to take care of His flock, which is the whole human race. The Vatican City-State exists only since 1929. It would, therefore, be wrong to attribute to the Pope as head of the Vatican City-State the statements he makes in virtue of his authority as Christ's Vicar on Earth (Holy See)", the prelate said. The cardinal said people everywhere are normally quite aware that the Pope's role as head of the Church (Holy See) is quite distinct from that of first citizen of the Vatican City-State: for instance when they listen to the Pope's speeches or when they react to various papal events, such as the sight of the hundreds of thousands of persons who come to Rome from five continents wishing to attend a papal audience, the anxiety of the millions around the globe who followed the radio and television bulletins for over a week as Pope John Paul II's life was slowly ebbing away and the sadness which prevailed all over the world when he died and at his funeral service; the enthusiasm with which countless of persons witnessed the election and inaugural ceremonies of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI. "Re-reading Pope Benedict XVI's remarks on religious freedom in India - which were made within the context of a speech filled with appreciation of and praises for the Indian nation - one cannot but sense the Holy Father's deep concern at the negative attitude taken by certain politico-religious groups vis-à-vis the innate fundamental rights of the Indian people, which are also enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are guaranteed in the Indian Constitution and reflect the spirit of India's founding fathers. This is fully within the competence of the Pope (Holy See)", Cardinal Dias said. He said the Pontiff's observations are all the more relevant when one considers the deep yearning of the Indian soul as expressed in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: "from untruth lead me to the truth, from darkness lead me to the light and from death lead me to immortality" (1.3.28). "The Pope is the highly revered spiritual leader of the world and his concerns expressed from time to time regarding violation of fundamental rights and deprivation of religious freedom cannot be construed as a threat to the political governance of any country". Father Anthony Charanghat, spokesman of the Bombay Archdiocese, told SAR News. He said Cardinal Dias was deeply concerned with the apparent misunderstand manifested in the criticism made against the Pope's remarks by some political and Hindu religious leaders. _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org)