Pope shows Udaipur bishop as Gypsies’ vocation example
Bishop Devprasad Ganawa of Udaipur was presented as the first bishop from among the gypsies.
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| Indian Bishop Devprasad Ganawa of Udaipur (centre) meeting Pope Francis in the Vatican, Oct. 26, 2015. - RV |
“Today we have with us Bishop Devprasad Ganawa, a son of this people,” Pope Francis said, pointing to the first bishop from among the gypsies.
Bishop Ganawa, who belongs to India’s Bhil tribe, was appointed in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI to head the diocese of Jhabua in the northern Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, and then in 2012 to Udaipur in the state of Rajasthan.
Pope Francis’ remark came in his meeting with some 7000 gypsies from around the world who on Oct 26 ended a 4-day pilgrimage to Rome, to commemorate 50 years of the historic visit of Blessed Pope Paul VI to a gypsy camp in Pomezia, near Rome.
“Dear consecrated people, your brothers and sisters look up to you with trust and hope for your role and all you are able to do for reconciliation within society and the Church,” the Pope told the religious and priests from among the nomadic people. He urged them to accompany their people not only in their spiritual journey but also in their daily life with all their struggles, joys and preoccupations.
Noting that the nomadic people are subject to discrimination, Pope Francis said, “No one must feel isolated and no one is entitled to trample on the dignity and the rights of others.” adding, “Time has come to uproot secular prejudice, preconceived ideas and the reciprocal diffidence that are often at the base of discrimination, racism and xenophobia,” the Pope stressed.
The Pope's meeting with Gypsies wore a carnival look with music and dance. At the end, the Pope crowned a statue of the Virgin Mary with Jesus.
Source: Vatican Radio
Nice it's God's grace that we have people for good work.
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