A papal visit that never was: Pope Francis' unfulfilled India trip

Pope Francis, who passed away at 88, had accepted Prime Minister Modi’s invitation to visit India, but the much-anticipated trip remained unfulfilled.

Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of over 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide, breathed his last on Monday at the age of 88. The pontiff had been battling complications arising out of a complex lung infection.

His passing has also brought an end to the anticipation surrounding his planned visit to India, which was likely to take place next year.

Pope Francis Had Accepted PM Modi’s Invitation to Visit India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Pope Francis twice — first in 2021 and again in 2024 — and had extended an invitation for him to visit India, which the Pope had accepted.

Modi, accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, first met the Pope in October 2021 in Vatican City on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rome. The second meeting took place in June 2024 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy, where Modi renewed his invitation.

Papal Visit Was Expected Post Jubilee Year Celebrations

Union Minister George Kurian, who visited Vatican City in December last year, said the much-awaited visit was expected to take place after the celebrations of the Jubilee Year of Jesus Christ's birth by the Catholic Church in 2025.

Last Papal Visit to India Was in 1999

The last papal visit to India was in 1999, when Pope John Paul II travelled to New Delhi to preside over the concluding celebrations of the Special Assembly of Synod of Bishops of Asia. During that visit, he met the then Vice-President Krishan Kant and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Pope John Paul II had earlier visited India in February 1986, during which he toured several parts of the country, including the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, and met with Indian leaders.

India’s First Papal Visit Was in 1964

The first pontiff to visit India was Pope Paul VI, who travelled to Mumbai in 1964 to attend the International Eucharistic Congress.

The demise of Pope Francis has been met with sorrow around the world, and his unfulfilled journey to India leaves a poignant gap in the history of Vatican-India relations.