Pope appreciates India's peace efforts but says minorities must be respected
Speaking to the new Indian ambassador to the Holy See, Benedict XVI condemns the reprehensible attempts to legislate clearly discriminatory restrictions on the fundamental right of religious freedom.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) Speaking to the new Indian ambassador to the Holy See during the ceremony in which his Letters of Credence were presented, the Pope said he appreciated the great cultural traditions of India and the use of peaceful means to settle the dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, noting that "increasing dialogue and cooperation is essential in order to face other challenges in the region, such as the violence associated with political and religious extremism" and build a free and democratic society where everyone has the same rights.
The Holy Father told Ambassador Amitava Tripathi of his concern for the "disturbing signs of religious intolerance which have troubled some regions of the nation, including the reprehensible attempt to legislate clearly discriminatory restrictions on the fundamental right of religious freedom, [and which] 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 in which ethnic and religious groups could live in peaceful coexistence and mutual tolerance.
"The recent creation of the National Integration Council and, this year, of the Ministry of Minority Affairs provide concrete means to protect the constitutionally-guaranteed equality of all religions and social groups," he added.
"Whilst they uphold the right of every citizen to profess and practice his religion, they [also] help build bridges between minority communities and Indian society as a whole and thus ensure national integration and everyone's participation in the country's development."
The Pope concluded saying that the Church and Catholics want to contribute to building a "just, peaceful and pluralistic society".
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