Pope calls for more dialogue
among religions

NEW DELHI, Nov 7 (PTI) — Pope John Paul II today expressed the hope that the coming century will herald fruitful dialogue leading to new relationship of understanding and solidarity among the followers of all religions.

Addressing a Holy Mass at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here, the head of the Catholic Church also prayed that the Christian faith may be firmly planted on the soil of Asia in the third Christian millennium.

Invoking God to bless India and Asia, the Pontiff said Asia's time-honoured culture, religions and spiritual traditions "have shaped the lives of the continent's people and left an indelible mark on the history of the human race."

Greeting representatives of Indian religions with "esteem and friendship", he said: "I place before them my hope and dream that the next century will be a time of fruitful dialogue, leading to new relationship of understanding and solidarity among followers of all religions.

The Pope, who had yesterday asked the Bishops of Asia to spread Christianity across the continent, expressed the hope that, "just as the first millennium saw the cross firmly planted in the soil of Europe, and the second in that of America and Africa, so may the third Christian millennium witness a great harvest of faith on this vast and vital continent."

At the Holy Mass, attended by an estimated 40,000 persons, the Pope administered Holy Communion to 30 persons and handed over post-synodal documents to 30 representatives of local church.

"The church looks to the lay men and women of Asia to reflect the light of Christ wherever the darkness of sin, division and discrimination distorts the image of god in his children," the Pontiff said.

"The world will only be transformed," he said, "if men and women of goodwill, and whole nations, genuinely accept that the only path worthy of the human family was the path of peace, of mutual respect, understanding and love and solidarity with those in need.

He said that as Christians stand on the threshold of celebrating 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, the ordinary Christian (laity) should transform the society by "infusing the mind of Christ into the mentality, customs, laws and structures of the world in which they live."

"The gospel (of Christianity) can only be preached if bishops, clergy, those in the consecrated life, and the laity are themselves on fire with the love of Christ and burning with zeal to make him known, loved and followed," pope Johanna pails said.

Addressing an inter-religious meet on the last day of his two-day state visit here, he launched a veiled attack on Sangh Parivar saying no group had the right to control a person's religious convictions. The Pope expressed the Catholic Church's willingness to enter "ever more deeply" into dialogue with other religions of the world.

"Religious freedom constitutes the very heart of human rights. Its inviolability is such that individuals must be recognised as having the right to even change their religion, if their conscience so demands," the Pope said without directly referring to the campaign by some Sangh Parivar outfits against conversions.

He told the religious leaders present on the occasion, including the Shankaracharya of Prayag mutt, Madhvanand Saraswati and Mufti Mohd Mukkarram Ahmed that the Catholic Church wanted to "enter ever more deeply" into dialogue with other religions of the world.

"It is a sign of hope that the religions of the world are becoming more aware of their shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family. This is a crucial part of the globalisation of solidarity which must come if the future of the world is to be secure," he said.

The Pope, however, clarified that dialogue did not mean that one abandons his or her own convictions.

Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mr Manmohan Singh, Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh were among the prominent persons present on the occasion.

Earlier, paying rich tributes to India, the Pope expressed great joy in visiting the "beloved land" once again. He also thanked the government and the people of India for the welcome he received.

"I come among you as a pilgrim of peace and as a fellow traveller on the road that leads to the complete fulfilment of the deepest human longings," the Pontiff said.

He expressed the hope that the inter-faith meet, on the occasion of Divali, "which symbolise the victory of life over death and good over evil", will convey to the world of things "which unite us all."

The Pope shook hands with the Shankaracharya twice and held aloft hands together. He also presented mementoes to the Indian religious leaders who welcomed his visit to the country and stressed on the need for inter-faith dialogue.

"We seek your co-operation in spreading the sacred Indian culture worldwide," the Shankaracharya said twice.

The Pope concluded his message in Hindi saying "Bharat ko ashirwad."

3 Shiv sainiks held

NEW DELHI, Nov 7 (PTI) — The police arrested three Shiv Sena activists while they were planning to stage a black flag demonstration against Pope John Paul II, minutes before he was to address an inter-religious meeting here today.

The 'sainiks', including party's propaganda secretary Dharmendra Kumar Bedi, were arrested as they were moving towards Vigyan Bhavan, the venue of the Papal's programme, police sources said.

The police had turned the venue into a fortress with security personnel not allowing traffic near the Vigyan Bhavan during the programme to prevent any untoward incident.

Besides Bedi, others detained by the police were Vinod Tanwar and Jogendra Singh.

Joint Commissioner of Police R K Niyogi declined to comment on the detention of the party workers.

Meanwhile, Sena's northern India chief Jai Bhagwan Goyal condemned the Pope's statement in support of conversions and said the party would continue its agitational programmes against "fraudulent conversions."

He gave communion and
they kissed the chair
by Paloma Ganguly

NEW DELHI, Nov 7 - From a chopper, the round stadium, flooded with the sun, must have resembled a lamp.

Touchdown, and a little girl in a pink frock sat high on the shoulder of her father, her tiny hands shading her eyes from the sun. Suddenly the hand shot a pointed finger and she cried: "I see him, Dad!"

At that moment, about 40,000 heads at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here turned in the direction of the pointed hand...a black, box-like mobile with a glass cover was making its way through, carrying a frail, white figure, clad in an off-white cassock and a golden cape: Pope John Paul II had arrived.

The morning had seen hectic activity at the grounds. Tribal dancers moving to Indian rhythms, photographers scrambling for the best corners, organisers giving finishing touches to a large painting of Mother Teresa and people from all over India pouring in.

The Pope arrived to a warm, loving crowd to conduct a special mass Sunday morning, which was also the day when India celebrated Divali, the Hindu festival of lights. Sure enough, it was a stage decorated all around with earthen lamp motifs and a backdrop that blended a flame with a hand holding the Holy Cross that waited for the Pope.

Although bent with age and a debilitating Parkinsons disease, the 79-year-old Pope took centrestage, papal aide Piero Marini constantly at his side, even as the crowd looked on with awe. Cardinals and bishops in their flowing robes, flanked the Pope, deepening the air of solemnity to the occasion.

After the initial welcome speech by Archbishop of Delhi Alan de Lastic, the Pope spoke in a quivering, sometimes coughing, nonetheless determined voice.

For three hours, the ceremony went on spellbounding the audience.

In a quiet corner sat Teresa, a 65-year-old woman, with tears in her eyes. Teresa had never thought she would get a chance to get a glimpse of the Pope twice in her lifetime. She had last seen Pope John Paul II when he came to India in 1986.

"I never could have imagined. To be around in Delhi just when the Pope himself has come to offer the Mass can only be fortuitous," said Teresa, who hails from Karnataka.

Longingly she watched as the Pope gave communion to 30 persons, chosen from among the deprived and poor, while other priests spread out among the public to do the same. A little while later, with unbelievable clarity, the Pope blessed India and its people, saying "Shanti" (the Hindi word for peace).

Then, in what seemed like a moment to Teresa, it was all over. The Pope, smiling benignly, was gone. An imposing red chair, on which the Pope had sat, was however, still there. Quietly, Teresa mingled with the crowd that was surging towards the chair and then it was her turn. She bent down, lovingly kissed the arms and the seat of the chair and smiled... — IANS