THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister George Kurian on Saturday said the much-awaited visit of Pope Francis to India is likely to happen after 2025, which has been announced as the "Jubilee Year" by the Catholic Church.
He said India had already invited the Pope officially and Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly extended him the invitation. The rest of the matters and procedures were to be decided by the Vatican. The visit would be scheduled as per the convenience of Pope Francis, he told media.
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Kurian was part of the delegation which reached Vatican to take part in the ordination of Monsignor George Jacob Koovakad, hailing from Kerala, as Cardinal by Pope Francis at a function to be held on Saturday.
"The Church is celebrating 2025 as the Jubilee Year of Jesus Christ's birth. So, Vatican says that the Pope will be engaged during the (next) year," the Union Minister said.
"So, as per the information we received, Pope Francis will visit India after the Jubilee Year. We expect that he will be visiting (the country) at the earliest," Kurian added.
The union minister also said that PM Modi and the Christian community are eagerly awaiting Pope Francis's visit to India.
Early this month, Goa minister Mauvin Godinho had said that Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, was likely to visit India "sooner than expected."
During the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in Apulia, southern Italy, in June this year, PM Modi invited Pope Francis to visit India.