V Muraleedharan meets Pope, gifts ‘Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi'

BJP leader and Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Sunday formally interacted with Pope Francis and presented him with the ‘Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi’ and ‘Caparisoned Elephant' of Kerala temple festivals which reflects India’s age-old traditions.

READ | Pope Francis Elevates Indian Nun Mariam Thresia, 4 Others To Sainthood

MoS External Affairs leads Indian delegation to Vatican City

The MoS for External Affairs led the Indian delegation at a ceremony in the Vatican City which is a country surrounded by Rome in Italy. It was at this ceremony that the Pope declared Indian nun Mariam Thresia and four others as Saints. Muraleedharan also met Archbishop Gallagher who is the Secretary for Relations with State within the Holy See’s Secretariat of State (Vatican’s equivalent of foreign minister). During the meeting, the Pope requested the minister to convey his regards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

READ | Mother Mariam Thresia Of Kerala Declared A Saint By Pope Francis

'Life is a journey'

Mariam Thresia, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Thrissur in May 1914, was raised to the highest position within the centuries-old institution during the ceremony at the St Peter's Square. The nun from Kerala was canonised along with English Cardinal John Henry Newman, Swiss laywoman Marguerite Bays, Brazilian Sister Dulce Lopes and Italian Sister Giuseppina Vannini. The ceremony included a Latin hymn and a recommendation by a representative of the Congregation for the Saints. Huge portraits of the five new Saints were hung from Saint Peter's Basilica during the ceremony, which was attended by tens of thousands of devotees. The event was also attended by Prince Charles. Noting that three of the new saints canonized on Sunday were religious women, the Pope said, they show "us that the consecrated life is a journey of love to the existential peripheries of the world".

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'It is a proud moment'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 'Mann ki Baat' podcast, paid tribute to Mother Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan. During his address, PM Modi spoke about Mother Mariam Thresia's contribution towards the society. He said, "Sister Mariam Thresia, a great personality who would be declared as a saint by Pope Francis on October 13 in Vatican City, Italy. It is a proud moment for every Indian citizen. Sister Mariam Thresia in just 50 years of the short span has proven to be an inspiration for the whole world with her goodness and humanitarian deeds. Her work toward the betterment of the people and society has proven to be an example for everyone. Be it social service or education she was always helpful in all matters."

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(Inputs from PTI)