2008-09-04 19:24:18

Home Ministry official visits Vatican Pro Nuncio


(September 4, 2008) A Home Ministry official visited Vatican Pro Nuncio to India Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana in New Delhi on Wednesday affirming that India was capable of dealing with the continuing anti-Christian violence in Orissa. The Indian government strongly condemned the recent attacks on Christians but as a "flourishing democracy," India was capable of dealing with the situation, he reportedly told the archbishop. The official visited the Vatican representative in India after the Vatican issued a statement expressing concern over the attacks on Christians and others as a "sin against God and humanity." The Vatican representative others from the Holy See mission in New Delhi had met Indian officials last week expressing same concerns. Also mounting the pressure on India, the Italian foreign ministry on Monday had called the Indian ambassador in Rome Arif S. Khan to its headquarters to express its "deep concern and sensitivity" on the recent attacks on Christians in Orissa. Italian foreign ministry in its website said during the officials meeting Italy has expressed “deep concern and sensitivity regarding” the recurrent episodes of inter-religious violence in the Indian state of Orissa.” The statement said Italy appreciates "the well- established practices of peaceful co-existence that have marked India's modern democracy and, under these dramatic circumstances.” The Italian government reportedly wants France, which has the current chair of the European Union, to raise the issue of attacks on Christians in India in its meet later this month.







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