After Pope John Paul-II visited this city 25 years ago, an envoy of his successor Pope Benedict XVI arrived here on Sunday on a day’s visit to commemorate the event with the message of the pontiff’s love and admiration for Mother Teresa.
“I come here as an envoy of Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate with the bishops, priests and the laity the visit of Pope John Paul-II 25 years ago,” Cardinal Murphy O’Connor, envoy of Benedict XVI, told the Missionaries of Charity during his visit to the order’s global headquarters here.
Addressing the nuns after a brief prayer at Mother Teresa’s tomb, Cardinal O’Connor said Pope John Paul-II had come to Mother House and met Teresa during his visit because he admired her humility and work for the poor.
“Pope Benedict too has love and admiration for Mother Teresa,” he told the nuns.
Cardinal O’Connor, who was accompanied by Vatican’s Ambassador to India Archbishop Salvatore Pennachio, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi and Archbishop Lucas Sircar of Kolkata, was earlier given a warm welcome by the nuns at the courtyard of Mother House.
Cardinal O’Connor, Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster, is being hosted by the Catholic Bishop’s Association of India for a 10-day visit to the country from February 1 on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of Pope John Paul’s visit.
He has already been to Delhi and Ranchi before coming to Kolkata, from where he will go to Kochi and Mumbai.
