CBCI condemns 'senseless' statements on Pope

(March25, 2009): The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) on Tuesday, condemned statements appearing in certain sections of the media on Pope Benedict XVI, where the Holy Father has been portrayed as ‘a disaster’. In a press statement on Tuesday, Jesuit Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes of Gandhinagar, CBCI Secretary General, said the top Catholic Church body in India considers "these kinds of statements as most irresponsible and irreverent towards the person of His Holiness. The CBCI statement also said - “Pope Benedict XVI is the most loved and respected spiritual leader of the Catholics all over the world. His views on various subjects such as recession, terrorism and moral issues like AIDS and abortion, have been received with respect all over the world. Catholics worldwide, abide by the teachings of the Church as pronounced by the Pope, who has often reminded the faithful to be more God-fearing while building a society based on humanitarian values and moral principles of life."
The CBCI statement pointed out that "The Universal Catholic Church headed by Pope Benedict XVI, has been working for peace, reconciliation, universal brotherhood, unity and prosperity for the poor and most neglected, and for a just society based on the Gospel values.” Pope Benedict XVI is one of the leading intellectuals of the modern times, who is fully aware of the modern trends that forebode moral degradation for humankind in the course of time. It is the moral duty of Pope Benedict to direct and guide the consciences of people in general and of Catholics, in particular," the CBCI statement added.