"Visit symbolizes his support for minorities": Fr. Francis Swaminathan ahead of PM Modi's church visit on Easter Sunday

New Delhi [India], April 9 : Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic Church in the national capital on Easter Sunday, Fr. Francis Swaminathan of the church said the visit will demonstrate his support for the minorities.
Easter Sunday is a religious Christian holiday that is observed globally to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and while Christmas has a fixed date, the date for Easter changes from year to year.
"PM Narendra Modi is coming to our church today and we are excited about it. I think this is the first time that a sitting Prime Minister will come to visit a church. The fact that the Prime Minister is coming is, in itself, a big message. We know he cares about all minorities, including the Christians," Fr. Francis Swaminathan added.
He said Prime Minister Modi was taking the country forward on the principle of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'.
"We believe that we will always receive his support and that he will take the country forward by taking people across faiths and communities together," said Fr. Francis Swaminathan.
On his visit to Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic Church in Delhi's Connaught Place on Sunday evening, PM Modi will offer prayers there.
"Prime Minister Modi will be visiting the church for half an hour during which he will offer prayers and plant a sapling in the garden in front of the church," he said.
PM Modi's visit to the church comes amid the party's concerted outreach to the community, including his meeting with the Supreme head of the Indian Orthodox Church, Baselios Marthoma Mathews III.
Earlier, on April 5, Union Minister V Muraleedharan escorted the supreme head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church into Parliament to meet Prime Minister Modi at his office inside Parliament.
Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, who was visiting the national capital to lead Easter Week celebrations in the Delhi diocese, said, "It was my wish to meet the Prime Minister after I took over as the head of the Church. Now after meeting him, I feel really happy. He inquired about the functioning of the Church and I explained in detail and he was happy to hear about what we were doing."
"I extended an invite to the Prime Minister to visit our headquarters the next time he comes to Kerala and he has agreed to do so," Baselios Marthoma Mathews III said.
He said Prime Minister Modi was very much aware of the church and its various educational and charity institutions.
Earlier in March, PM Modi wished Pope Francis a speedy recovery from bronchitis. Pope Francis was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome after he complained of breathing problems. After the clinical check-up and tests, the doctors said that Pope Francis had bronchitis and were administering antibiotic therapy to treat him.
In October 2021, PM Modi, during his visit to Europe, invited Pope Francis to visit India during a "very warm" meeting at the Vatican City.
The last Papal Visit happened in 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and Pope John Paul II came visiting the country.
According to the Bible, Easter marks the third day after Jesus was crucified when he rose from the dead. Around the world, Easter is celebrated in various ways, with many cultures incorporating their own traditions and customs into the holiday.
The Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. It is a time when Catholics gather to remember and participate in the Passion of Jesus Christ. The Passion was the final period of Christ's life in Jerusalem. It covers the span of time from when Christ arrived in Jerusalem to when he was crucified.