As Pope Leo XIV prepares for his first international apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon from November 27 to December 2, anticipation for a potential Indian visit grows
Newsroom (23/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a significant gesture, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), formally invited Pope Leo XIV to visit India during a meeting following the pontiff’s general audience on Wednesday. The invitation, presented in a letter on behalf of India’s Catholic Church, marks a renewed effort to bring a pope to the subcontinent for the first time since St. John Paul II’s visit in 1999.
The CBCI, representing the Latin, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara Churches, is led by Archbishop Thazhath of Trichur. “I informed the Holy Father that I would discuss this matter with the Government of India,” the archbishop stated, noting that further talks are scheduled with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, to advance preparations. He added, “The Holy Father loves the Church in India and continues to bless us.”
The proposed visit carries deep significance for India’s Catholic community, eager to welcome a pontiff after a 26-year absence. However, the trip is also politically sensitive. Until recently, opposition from Hindu nationalist groups, coupled with issues like anti-conversion laws and hostility toward Christian communities, made such a visit challenging. In recent years, diplomatic overtures have shifted the landscape. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended an invitation to Pope Francis in 2021, renewing it during a June 2024 meeting at the G7 summit in Italy.
As Pope Leo XIV prepares for his first international apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon from November 27 to December 2, anticipation for a potential Indian visit grows. The CBCI’s invitation underscores a delicate balance of faith and diplomacy, with hopes that a papal visit could foster dialogue amid ongoing challenges for India’s Christian minority.
South Korea Eyes Papal Visit for World Youth Day 2027
In a parallel development, South Korea is looking ahead to Pope Leo XIV’s anticipated visit for World Youth Day (WYD) in Seoul, scheduled for August 3–8, 2027. During a recent meeting, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taek of Seoul, also the Apostolic Delegate for Pyongyang, discussed the event with South Korea’s new Minister of Unification, David Chung Dong-young.
Archbishop Chung expressed hope that North Korean youth could participate in WYD, a sentiment echoed by Minister Chung, who described the event as a potential “turning point for peace on the Korean Peninsula.” The minister further expressed his aspiration for the Pope to visit North Korea during the trip, suggesting that such a gesture could advance “de facto reunification” through the free movement of people, money, and resources, prior to formal political unity.
As both India and South Korea extend invitations to Pope Leo XIV, these developments highlight the pontiff’s growing role in fostering dialogue and unity across diverse and complex geopolitical landscapes.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Asianews.it
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