WATCH: PM Modi And Pope Francis Share Hugs At G7 Summit, Then An Invite From India

According to the PMO, India and The Holy See – the Vatican-based government of the Catholic Church - have friendly relations dating back to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1948.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pope Francis shared a heartwarming moment at the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in Apulia, southern Italy as the two leaders, along with other global dignitaries, gathered to address critical global challenges. During the summit, PM Modi was seen in a light-hearted  interaction with the 87-year-old head of the worldwide Catholic Church, who navigated the room in a wheelchair to greet the assembled leaders at Borgo Egnazia. Posting pictures from the meeting, PM Modi expressed his admiration for Pope Francis’ dedication to serving humanity and wrote: “Met Pope Francis on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. I admire his commitment to serve people and make our planet better. Also invited him to visit India.”

Met Pope Francis on the sidelines of the @G7 Summit. I admire his commitment to serve people and make our planet better. Also invited him to visit India. @Pontifex pic.twitter.com/BeIPkdRpUD

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 14, 2024

A wonderful moment.❤️🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/tKfiOBOsML

— rajnish tiwari (@Rajnishtiwari82) June 14, 2024

The meeting between Modi and Pope Francis in October 2021 was the first between a prime minister of India and the head of the Catholic Church in more than two decades. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had last visited the Vatican and met the then Pope, John Paul II, in June 2000.

Speaking about the meeting, Kuriakose Bharanikulangara, the Archbishop of the Faridabad Syro-Malabar Diocese in India, in a video message, said, “It was so pleasant to see our PM Modi meeting Pope Francis this morning in Italy. The official press release of The Holy See mentions that after the discourse of Pope Francis, there was a bilateral meeting between him and PM Modi. It is so encouraging for the Christian community to see that our PM is meeting the head of the Catholic Church. I hope such meetings will strengthen the bond between The Holy See and India. I recall the happy memories of the Christmas reception organised by PM Modi. While appreciating all that our PM is doing for the Christian community, our wish is that the newly installed government under the leadership of PM Modi would address the risks and challenges the Christian community is facing in our country.”

According to the PMO, India and The Holy See – the Vatican-based government of the Catholic Church – have friendly relations dating back to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1948.

India being home to the second-largest Catholic population in Asia is hopeful of a papal visit next year.