KOCHI: Pope Leo XIV is likely to visit India by the end of 2026 or in 2027. Interacting with a delegation of the Syro-Malabar Church led by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil on December 15, Pope Leo, who was elected the head of the Catholic Church eight months ago, expressed his willingness to visit India.
“The Pope has conveyed that he is eagerly waiting for his visit to India. Now, the Union government will have to take the initiative. If the visit happens, we are optimistic that Pope Leo XIV will include Kerala in his itinerary,” said Thalassery Archbishop Joseph Pamplany, who was part of the delegation that met Pope.
The Indian government will have to forward a formal invitation to confirm the papal visit. As the head of the Vatican, protocol requires that the Pope be extended an invitation by a head of a state.
‘Pope has emotional connect with Kerala’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited Pope Francis, Pope Leo’s predecessor, to India on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy in June 2024. This followed an invitation that Modi extended during his visit to the Vatican in 2021. However, since a new Pope has assumed office, the Centre will have to send a formal invitation now.
“I don’t think a Pope visiting India can avoid Kerala, as the state has been the cradle of Christianity in the country. Before assuming the role of the pontiff, Pope Leo XIV visited Kerala thrice,” said Pamplany, who is also the secretary of the Syro Malabar Synod of Bishops.
“He has an emotional connection with this land,” he said. Normally, the Vatican avoids papal visits to friendly nations during an election year. As the next general election in India is due in 2029, the Vatican feels 2027 will be ideal. The first Pope to visit India was Pope Paul VI, who came to Mumbai in 1964 to attend the International Eucharistic Congress.
Pope John Paul II visited India in February 1986, during which he visited Kerala and attended the beatification of Sister Alphonsa and Fr Kuriakose Elias Chavara. In 1999, he visited India again in November to meet Indian leaders and conclude the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Asia.