ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI
TO H.E. MR AMITAVA TRIPATHI
NEW AMBASSADOR OF THE
REPUBLIC OF INDIA
TO THE HOLY SEE
Clementine Hall
Thursday, 18 May 2006
Your Excellency,
I am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican
as you present the Letters by which you are accredited Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Holy
See. I thank you most heartily for the greetings which you have brought me
from the Indian Government and people, and I ask you kindly to convey my
own greetings to President Abdul Kalam, together with the assurance of my
prayers for the peace and prosperity of the nation and its citizens.
India’s ongoing efforts to build a
democratic and free society are grounded in her conviction of the need to
respect the variety of cultures, religions and ethnic groups which make up
the nation and shape the aspirations of her sons and daughters. The
Indian people are rightly proud of the stability of their political
institutions, while at the same time recognizing the formidable challenges
involved in promoting justice, combating all forms of violence and
extremism, and establishing a climate of serene and respectful dialogue,
cooperation and good will between the different components of their vast
and diverse society. As the nation continues to enjoy significant
economic growth, these democratic values should serve as the inspiration
and the sure foundation for sound social policies aimed at enabling all
citizens to share in this growth and to enjoy its benefits.
In this regard, I wish to assure you of the
wish of India’s Catholic community to share fully in the life of the
nation in a spirit of collaboration and concern for the common good. You
have graciously acknowledged the contribution which the spiritual heirs of
Saint Thomas the Apostle and Saint Francis Xavier have made to the growth
of modern India, especially in the fields of education and human
development. The Church sees these works as a fundamental part of her
mission of proclaiming the innate dignity and rights of each human person
made in the image and likeness of God, as well as an important service to
the building of a just, peaceful and pluralistic society. When the gifts
and talents of all citizens, men and women, young and old, wealthy and
poor alike, are valued and developed, the way is opened to a future of
prosperity and social harmony for the whole nation.
I very much appreciate your reference to
India’s rich spiritual heritage and commitment to religious tolerance and
respect. In view of this commitment, no citizen of India, especially the
weak and the underprivileged, should ever have to experience
discrimination for any reason, especially based on ethnic or religious
background or social position. The recent re-establishment of the
National Integration Council and the creation this year of the Ministry
for Minority Affairs offer practical means of upholding constitutionally
guaranteed equality of all religions and social groups. While protecting
the right of each citizen to profess and practise his or her faith, they
also facilitate efforts to build bridges between minority communities and
Indian society as a whole, and thus foster national integration and the
participation of all in the country’s development. 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, 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 of peaceful
coexistence and mutual tolerance between different religions and ethnic
groups.
Here I cannot fail to express the Holy
See’s appreciation of India’s desire to settle through negotiation and
peaceful means the long-standing dispute with neighbouring Pakistan. Last
year’s earthquake in Kashmir, with its tragic loss of life and widespread
material destruction, showed the urgent need for joint efforts in
responding to the emergency, providing relief to the victims and
undertaking the immense work of rebuilding. Increased dialogue and
cooperation should also prove helpful in meeting a number of other
challenges in the region, including the threat of violence linked to
political and religious extremism. As experience has shown, this
troubling phenomenon, which is often the fruit of situations of poverty,
lack of education, and scant respect for the rights of others, is best
combated by concerted efforts to resolve these underlying social problems
at their roots. Where the innate dignity and freedom of each man and
woman is acknowledged, respected and promoted at every level of society,
the foundations are laid for a future of justice, freedom and peace.
Your Excellency, as you undertake the
mission of representing the Republic of India to the Holy See, please
accept my personal good wishes for the success of your important work. Be
assured that you may always count on the offices of the Roman Curia to
assist and support you in the fulfillment of your high responsibilities.
Upon you and your family, and upon all the beloved Indian people, I
cordially invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.
