Church officials meet Prime Minister, request to invite Pope

Modi was also requested to personally lead India's official delegation for the canonization of Mother Teresa.

Prime Minister Modi receiving the Church delegation on Monday in his office

New Delhi:  Catholic Church officials in India met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday requesting him to invite Pope Francis to India and also to personally lead a delegation for the canonization of Mother Teresa in the Vatican in September.

Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, president of the Indian bishops' conference met with Modi in New Delhi. He was accompanied by Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, the conference's secretary-general, and Father Joseph Chinnayyan, deputy secretary-general.

The group requested the prime minister to formally invite Pope Francis to visit India.

Cardinal Cleemis also asked Modi to personally lead India's official delegation for the canonization of Mother Theresa scheduled for Sept. 4 at the Vatican.

The prime minister "appreciated the sentiments of the bishops and assured that he would favorably consider the proposal," Father Chinnayyan said.

The church delegation also thanked Modi for the government’s continued efforts to rescue Salesain Father Tom Uzunnalil, who was abducted in Yemen early March. They requested the prime minister to "personally intervene for the safe release" of the priest.

The Church delegation also promised Indian Catholics support for the many initiatives Prime Minister has taken to India “self reliant and to improve the standard of life of millions of the rural and weaker sections of the society,” said a press release from the conference.