"It has been an absolute pleasure meeting His Holiness Pope Francis (@Pontifex) in Vatican City. Thanked him for the warm audience and wished him good health and a long life," Patnaik said in a tweet.
The Chief Minister is leading a high-level delegation of senior officials of the Odisha government to Rome and Dubai.
As per schedule, Patnaik will visit World Food Programme (WFP) headquarters in Rome, where he will meet its Executive Director, David Beasley and the other senior leadership.
He will have detailed discussions on Odisha's partnership with WFP and future projects which will further help the state in ensuring food security in a sustainable manner.
The CM will also meet the Odia diaspora from various parts of Europe. He will discuss the possible ways to engage with the diaspora in promoting the art and culture of Odisha and also enabling them to partner in the state's transformational journey.
On his way back, Patnaik will meet investors from the Middle East and adjoining regions in Dubai. He will extend an invitation to the potential investors to come and invest in Odisha and assure them of all the support and facilitation by the state government. He will also have one-on-one meetings with some big investors from the region.
As per reports, Patnaik will attend an event organized by the World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome. On the occasion, the Chief Minister will share his experience on Odisha’s efforts, capabilities and success in transforming agriculture, food security and disaster mitigation in the state that have been exemplary for others.
Last year the State government had signed an MoU with the WFP to work on improving household nutritional security, aimed at reaching thousands of Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Odisha. The WFP had heaped praise on Odessa’s Millet Mission and Mission Shakti.
Earlier in February, Bishow Parajuli, World Food Programme Representative met Naveen Patnaik and invited him to visit Rome. While speaking to the reporters, Parajuli had said, “We would like the Chief Minister to share his vision of how he aims to transform the State. India has made a lot of progress particularly in the field of agriculture and Odisha is an important part of this progress.”
After that, the CM is scheduled to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican which has heated up the political corridor in Odisha. While the Congress has called it a minority appeasement policy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has termed it a blatant disregard for Hindu sentiments.
BJP Spokesperson, Ramaranjan Baliarsingh said, “When the CM has never extended his interest in meeting the Shankaracharya in Puri, his meeting with the Pope thousands of KMs away reeks of ulterior motives which he will have to answer to the voters.”
Alleging vote politics, Congress MLA Suresh Routray said, “He has planned to meet the Pope only to beg for the Christian votes. It is minority appeasement at the best.”
However, the BJD has refuted all these allegations terming them as baseless. “Odisha has become an industrial hub these days and not only the country but the world has recognised his efforts to transform the State. It is the job of the opposition to criticise every move the CM makes. So let them make the noise.”
Not only Rome, Patnaik will attend an Investors’ Summit organised by the FICCI and the Indian Consulate at Dubai while returning from Rome.
Notably, this will be chief minister’s second foreign trip during his 22 years as Chief Minister of Odisha.
Pillai, a Hindu who converted to Christianity in the 18th century - drawing the ire of the then rulers, was canonised at 2.30 p.m. (IST) at the St Peter's Basilica in Vatican along with nine others. A miracle attributed to him was recognised by Pope Francis in 2014 leading to his canonisation now.
Church records state that Pillai was born as Neelakanda Pillai in Nattalam in the Kanniyakumari district in 1712. Kanniyakumari was then part of the Travancore kingdom and Pillai's embracing of Christianity in 1745 made the Maharaja angry.
An court official, Pillai introduced to Christianity by Dutch naval officer, Captain De Lannoy when he was in Travancore. After his conversion, he assumed the name of 'Lazarus or 'Devasahayam', meaning 'God is my Help'.
The Travancore Maharaja was, however, furious about his conversion and shot him dead at Aralvaimozhy forest on January 14, 1752.
Pillai was declared blessed in 2012 in Nagercoil and the Vatican cleared him for sainthood in 2020.
His mortal remains were interred near the altar inside St Xavier's Church, Kottar, Nagercoil which is a diocesan Cathedral now.
Special prayers were conducted at churches that are linked to his life in the Kottar diocese of Kanniyakumari.
At Thiruvananthapuram, Bishop Thomas J Netto led prayers at the St Joseph's Cathedral, Palayam and Neyyatinkara Bishop Vincent Samuel led the Pontifical mass at the St. Devasahayam Church in Chavallorpatta near Parassala under the Neyattinkara diocese.
A vehicle rally was held from St Joseph's Cathedral, Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram to the St Antony's Pilgrim Church at Kamukincode on Saturday. This was to commemorate the visit of Devasahayam Pillai when he called on those who sought refuge in the locality after fleeing from being persecuted for having converted to Christianity.
Catholic Bishop Conference of India (CBCI) laity secretary, V.C. Sebastian told IANS that the "conferment of sainthood to Devasahayam Pillai will rejuvenate the Christian community in the country, in particular the Catholic laity. The elevation of a layman as a saint or canonisation of a common man has immense relevance to the present times".
It is the first-ever one-to-one meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church.
Modi is also the first Indian Prime Minister Francis has met since becoming Pope in 2013.
At the Vatican, Modi was accompanied by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The Prime Minister also met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican City State.
Ahead of the historic meeting, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday said that the Prime Minister will have a separate meeting with the Pope.
He will be meeting his holiness on a one-to-one basis, he said during a press conference in Rome.
Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will pay a call on His Holiness, Pope Francis at the Vatican City, and thereafter, he will attend G20 sessions, where he will also hold more bilateral meetings and we will continue to keep you informed, Shringla said.
The meeting could, after a certain period of time, be followed up by delegation-level talks, he said.
The Vatican has not set an agenda. I believe, tradition is not to have an agenda when you discuss issues with His Holiness. And I think we would respect that.
I am sure the issues would cover a range of areas of interest in terms of the general global perspectives and issues that are important to all of us, COVID-19, health issues, how we can work together to maintain peace and tranquility and this is something that, I think would be the general trend in the discussions, the Foreign Secretary added.
The Catechism of the Church, which sums up the teachings, previously stated that death penalty could be used in some cases. But it now called the death term "inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person", the BBC reported.
The Holy See communicated the Pope's revision of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the death penalty to Bishops worldwide in an official letter.
The church previously viewed the death penalty, carried out by a legitimate authority after a fair trial, as an "appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good", according to the Vatican statement.
"This development centres principally on the clearer awareness of the Church for the respect due to every human life," it said.
Pope Francis has previously spoken out against the death penalty, saying last year it "heavily wounds human dignity" and is an inhuman measure. Capital punishment was "in itself, contrary to the Gospel", he had said.
But on Thursday the Pope went further by making a formal change to the universal catechism.
The move puts the Pope at odds with US President Donald Trump, who in March advocated the death penalty for drug dealers. Trump had also called for terrorists and "perverts" to be put to death.
According to Amnesty International, 1,032 people were executed in 23 countries in 2016. Four countries account for 87 per cent of global executions: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan.
In his annual "Urbi et Orbi" (to the City and the World) nativity address, which he delivered from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, the pontiff stressed the importance of recognising Jesus Christ in the children suffering in various ways around the world, Efe news reported.
"Today, as the winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline, Christmas invites us to focus on the sign of the Child and to recognise him in the faces of little children, especially those for whom, like Jesus, there is no place in the inn," the Pope said.
The Pope also urged the congregation to commit to "making our world more human and more worthy for the children of today and of the future".
He said that Jesus could be seen in the faces of children affected by conflicts such as the wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen; by the growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, and by the bloodshed in African countries such as South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Nigeria.
In addition, the Pope called for a de-escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, in Venezuela and in Ukraine.
The head of the Catholic church emphasised the struggles of children of unemployed parents, of child soldiers forced to work by "unscrupulous mercenaries" and children forced to emigrate alone who are often targeted by human traffickers.
Furthermore, he expressed hope that the international community would work to ensure that the dignity of persecuted minority groups in Myanmar and Bangladesh is adequately protected.
"Jesus knows well the pain of not being welcomed and how hard it is not to have a place to lay one's head," he said, adding: "May our hearts not be closed as they were in the homes of Bethlehem."
The Pope ended his message by offering a "warm greeting" to people from throughout the world.
"May the birth of Christ the Saviour renew hearts, awaken the desire to build a future of greater fraternity and solidarity, and bring joy and hope to everyone... Happy Christmas," he said
The pontiff on Sunday night said that Christ's parents found no place to stay in Bethlehem except for a lowly manger and noted that Christian faith demands that foreigners be welcomed, reports Efe news.
Amid heavy security at the solemn Mass at which Catholics commemorate the birth of Jesus, which this year was not celebrated at midnight but it rather began at 9.30 p.m., Francis delivered his remarks to about 10,000 people inside the St. Peter's Basilica here, while thousands of others followed the service outside.
The shepherds who first welcomed Baby Jesus were "forced to live on the edges of society" and were considered undesirable foreigners, Francis said, adding "Everything about them generated mistrust. They were men and women to be kept at a distance, to be feared."
"Many other footsteps are hidden in the footsteps of Joseph and Mary. We see the tracks of entire families forced to set out in our own day. We see the tracks of millions of persons who do not choose to go away, but driven from their land, leave behind their dear ones," the pontiff said.
The 81-year-old Argentine pope - born Jorge Bergoglio - has consistently defended the situation of migrants, and in his homily at the Mass he called for a "new social imagination ... in which none have to feel that there is no room for them on this earth."
Francis told the assembled faithful that "Our document of citizenship" comes from God and thus respect for migrants is - and must be - an integral part of Christianity.
"This is the joy that we tonight are called to share, to celebrate and to proclaim. The joy with which God, in his infinite mercy, has embraced us pagans, sinners and foreigners, and demands that we do the same," the pontiff said, going on to call people traffickers the "Herods of today," and declaring that they have blood on their hands.
Pope Francis is scheduled to deliver his traditional Christmas Day blessing and "Urbi et Orbi" (To the city and to the world) message from St. Peter's Basilica on Monday.
Among those being declared saints included the three "Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala (Mexico)", who were killed between 1527-1529 for converting to Roman Catholicism, as well as 30 Brazilians known as the "Martyrs of Natal", who were killed in 1645 at the hands of Dutch Calvinists.
Pope Francis also canonised two others at Sunday's ceremony -- a Spanish priest called Faustino Miguez (1831-1925) who was the founder of the Daughters of the Divine Shepherdess, and Italian priest Angelo da Acri (1669-1739).
The ceremony began with Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Angelo Amato, presenting canonisation requests to Pope Francis before reading a biography for each saint-to-be.
The Pope then went on to declare the 35 saints, speaking in Latin, and the relics of the new saints were taken to an altar.
Hundreds of Mexicans from Tlaxcala attended the mass to witness the event.
The three children who became saints were called Cristobal, Juan and Antonio, aged between 12 and 13 years old, and would become the patrons of Mexican childhood.
Pope John Pall II beatified the trio in Mexico on May 6, 1990, and the Brazilian martyrs on March 5, 2000, in the Vatican.
"Forty million followers means 40 million people, 40 million hearts, minds, and passions," Dario Edoardo Vigano, the Vatican official tasked with coordinating the Pope's Twitter and Instagram accounts, told Vatican Radio.
"It is a world, a relationship, a community: this figure emphasizes that so many people continue to follow, day after day, even by way of (140-character bursts), the Pope's teaching authority, which reaches people in very different ways," said Vigano.
Such is the importance the pontiff attaches to his Twitter account, "he closely and carefully checks all the tweets" before they go out, Vigano said.
Until July, Francis was the most followed world leader on Twitter but has now been overtaken by US President Donald Trump who has 40.3 million followers.
"The search for peace is an open-ended task, a responsibility that never ends and that demands the commitment of everyone," said his tweet.
His nine-language @pontifex account on Twitter has some 34 million followers, according to Twitter-tracking group Twiplomacy.
The Saudi Arabian government-supported NGO, once seen as a promoter of the radical Wahhabism ideology, was founded in 1962 to propagate Islam and to improve worldwide understanding of the religion.
Headquartered in the Saudi city of Mecca, the MWL promotes Islamic (Sharia) law and in its mission statement says it rejects violence and fosters "dialogue with people of other cultures".
The College of Cardinals is to meet on June 28, and the following day, when the feast of St. Peter and Paul is celebrated, Mass is to be held with the new cardinals, said the Pope.
The new cardinals that are to be named alongside the Archbishop of Barcelona are the auxiliary bishop of San Salvador, Monsignor Gregorio Rosa Chávez; the Archbishop of Bamako, Jean Zarbo; the Archbishop of Stockholm, Anders Arborelius; and the Vicar Apostolic of Pakse, Louise-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun, Efe news reported.
All of them are under the age of 80, meaning they would be eligible to vote should a new conclave be held.
This is the fourth consistory celebrated by the Pontiff, after the latest was held on November 19 in which he named 17 new cardinals, 13 of whom were under 80.
Looking out on a plaza illuminated by hundreds of thousands of candles, the Argentine pontiff on Friday evening delivered a benediction and a message in Portuguese, Efe news reported.
He then stood silently for nearly 10 minutes, gazing at the image of Our Lady, before taking a seat and, with head bowed, praying the Rosary along with the faithful gathered in Fatima for the centenary.
Many of the pilgrims planned to spend the night on the plaza to await Mass on Saturday morning.
The pope will officiate at Saturday's Mass for the canonization of seven-year-old Jacinta Marto and her brother Francisco, nine, who said that the Virgin Mary had appeared to them on May 13, 1917.
The siblings died a few years later, but their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, who was 10 at the time of the apparitions, became a nun at 14 and committed to writing the "three secrets" Mary conveyed to the children.
While the legend of Fatima remains shrouded in mystery, the Catholic Church holds that the apparition shared with the children apocalyptic visions and prophecies encompassing World War I, World War II, and the 1981 attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II.
Speaking to the media on Saturday aboard his plane after a visit to Egypt, Pope Francis said: "There are so many facilitators in the world, there are mediators who offer themselves, such as Norway for example," the BBC reported.
He warned that the situation had become "too hot" and said: the "path is the path of negotiations, of a diplomatic solution".
He warned the crisis risked sparking a devastating war in which "a good part of humanity" would be destroyed.
His comments come hours after North Korea test-fired another ballistic missile on Saturday, which the US and South Korea confirmed that it exploded shortly after take-off.
The missile was fired from a site in South Pyeongan province, north of Pyongyang.
In an interview with German newspaper Die Zeit, Pope Francis said the lack of Catholic priests was an "enormous problem" for the Church, and indicated that he would be open to a change in the rules governing eligibility for the priesthood.
"We need to consider if 'viri probati' could be a possibility," he said.
"If so, we would need to determine what duties they could undertake, for example, in remote communities." Viri probati is the Latin term for "tested men" or married men of outstanding faith and virtue.
The Pope said the option would allow men who are already married to be ordained as priests.
But single men who are already priests would not be allowed to marry, said a report in CNN on Friday.
"Voluntary celibacy is not a solution," he said.
The Catholic Church already allows some married men to be ordained priests.
Protestant married priests who convert to Catholicism can continue to be married and be a Roman Catholic priest, provided they have their wives' permission, according to the report.
Eastern Catholic churches that are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church can also maintain their tradition of married priests.
The Roman Catholic Church believes priests should not marry based on certain passages in the Bible, and because it believes that the priest acts "in persona Christi" (in the person of Christ) and should therefore be celibate, like Christ.
This teaching was re-affirmed by St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope Francis in his book, "On Heaven and Earth," said that "For the time being, I am in favour of maintaining celibacy with the pros and cons that it has, because it has been ten centuries of good experiences more often than failure."
The money will be used for housing, food and necessities for the Cmigrants. The funds will be split among 27 projects in 16 Mexican dioceses and religious congregations, CNN quoted a Vatican statement as saying on Saturday.
"Men and women, often with young children, flee poverty and violence, hoping for a better future in the US. However, the US border remains closed to them," Peter's Pence, the Pope's charity, said in a statement.
The near 75,000 migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala that arrived in Mexico in caravans have been "stranded, unable to enter the US, without a home or livelihood", it said.
The Catholic Church said it hosts thousands of these migrants in hotels within dioceses or congregations.
"Media coverage of this emergency has been decreasing and as a result, aid to migrants by the government and private individuals has also decreased," the Vatican said.
Thirteen projects have already been approved for aid, including in Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana and Nogales, which border the US. The remaining 14 projects are still undergoing the approval process, according to the release.
Mariam Thresia, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Thrissur in May 1914, will be raised to the glory of the altar during a solemn Eucharistic Celebration in Rome's St Peter's Square.
The nun from Kerala will be canonised along with English Cardinal John Henry Newman, Swiss laywoman Marguerite Bays, Brazilian Sister Dulce Lopes and Italian Sister Giuseppina Vannini.
She will become the fourth person from Kerala to be elevated to the highest position within the centuries-old institution.
Mariam Thresia was called during the first half of her life simply Thresia, the name given to her at the baptism on May 3, 1876. Since 1904, she wanted to be called Mariam Thresia as she believed that she was asked to add "Mariam" to her name by the Blessed Virgin Mary in a vision.
And it was as Mariam Thresia that she was professed in 1914, the foundress and first member of the Congregation of the Holy Family.
The Church has declared her as one of the rare holy persons who moved constantly and consciously among the inhabitants of this world as well as with visitors from the world above and below.
"In imitation of Jesus, she helped the poor, nursed the sick, visited and comforted the lonely people of her parish. She was also blessed with the stigmata but kept it secret to avoid attention.
"She received several mystical gifts like prophecy, healing, an aura of light, sweet odour and frequently had ecstasies and levitations.
"Her entire existence was tormented by demons and she offered her sufferings for the remission of the sins of the world," the Vatican News said.
Sister Thresia died on June 8, 1926 at the age of 50 and was declared Blessed by Pope Saint John Paul II on April 9, 2000.
Pope Francis on February 12 authorised a decree recognising a miracle through her intercession, which cleared her for sainthood, and on July 1, the Pope decided on October 13, as the canonization day.
Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will lead the Indian delegation at the ceremony at the Vatican City.
In his 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme on September 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had referred to Sister Mariam Thresia and said it is a matter of pride for every Indian that, on the coming October 13, Pope Francis will declare her a saint.
"Sister Thresia, in her short lifespan of 50 years, worked for the good of humanity becoming a noble example for the entire world. Whatever task Sister Mariam Thresia undertook and accomplished, she did so with utmost dedication and devotion," Modi had said.
She rendered service in the fields of education and social service and has built many schools, hostels and orphanages, Modi had said.
During the Mass on Christmas Eve, when Catholics commemorate the birth of the Lord Jesus, Francis on Tuesday said of his coming: "We realise that, when we failed to measure up, God became small for our sake; while we were going about our own business, he came into our midst."
The Mass, which for a number of years has been held at 9:30 p.m. Italian time (2030 GMT) and not as a Midnight Mass, began with the announcement of the birth of Jesus with the reading of an ancient text of the "Kalenda", the Christmas proclamation of his coming, Efe news reported.
Afterwards, Pope Francis, 83, removed the veil from the image of the Baby Jesus placed on a throne before the altar and kissed it, while bells rang to announce the birth of Christ.
To some 10,000 people gathered in the Vatican Basilica, the pope in his sermon reflected on the significance of the coming of Jesus, who, he said, brought "divine love, the love that changes lives, renews history, liberates from evil, fills hearts with peace and joy".
Jesus came freely as a little child "so that we might love him," Francis said on the seventh Christmas Eve of his pontificate.
"His love is non-negotiable: we did nothing to deserve it and we will never be able to repay it," he said, adding that "Christmas reminds us that God continues to love us all, even the worst of us".
"God does not love you because you think and act the right way. He loves you, plain and simple," he said. "You may have made a complete mess of things, but the Lord continues to love you."
"May we not wait for our neighbours to be good before we do good to them, for the Church to be perfect before we love her, for others to respect us before we serve them. Let us begin with ourselves," Pope Francis continued.
"Let us receive the gift that is Jesus, in order then to become a gift like Jesus. To become a gift is to give meaning to life. And it is the best way to change the world," he said.
"We change, the Church changes, history changes, once we stop trying to change others but try to change ourselves and to make of our life a gift."
"And just as God called the shepherds, so too he calls us, for he loves us," he said. "For better or worse, in sickness and in health, whether happy or sad, in his eyes we are beautiful, not for what we do but for what we are."
After the Mass, Pope Francis carried the statue of the Baby Jesus in a procession to the manger in the Vatican Basilica, accompanied by 12 children from various countries around the world.
(IANS)
As the 83-year-old Pope turned away after greeting the pilgrims standing behind the barricades along the kerbside to have a look at the nativity scene at the St Peter's square, the woman caught hold of his arm and pulled him close after he had extended his hand towards her.
A visibly annoyed pontiff gave a couple of light taps on her arm to get himself freed from her grip, even as his security personnel and accompanying officials intervened.
The Pope looked upset after the incident as he walked away from the crowd.
(IANS)
"Love makes us patient. So many times we lose patience, even me, and I apologise for yesterday's (December 31) bad example," the Pope was quoted as saying by a media report.
One Twitter user posted the video clip of the incident and wrote: "I think his reaction was appropriate. #PopeFrancis #popeslap."
One user posted a meme showing the woman as year 2019 and Pope as year 2020. She wrote: "Let's start the new year like #PopeFrancis did!"
"You had one job #PopeFrancis," wrote another user.
One supporter had this to say: "I'm sorry but that woman was doing too much... plus, it was only a little pop... be easy on A@Pontifex #PopeFrancis."
One user posted a sarcastic post: "Look at this white old man smacking a woman's hand for wanting to shake his hand. You can tell that this incident clearly proves that he's a man of great patience & acceptance. Not to forget that the look of pure rage on his face which clearly shows his unconditional love. #PopeFrancis."
One Twitter user posted another clip of the Pope allegedly withdrawing his hand as the faithfuls kneel before him and try to kiss his hand.
"This is funny & WEIRD!! It's a custom to shake & kiss Pope's hand BUT Pope Francis seems DISGUSTED with the ceremony & yanks his hand away!! Least he can do is smile kindly & bless but see his attitude!! It's like he's saying 'Get on with it you low life'. #PopeFrancis #popeslap."
An otherwise serene Pope Francis had lost his cool momentarily on New Year's eve when the woman devotee had pulled at the pontiff's arm while he was greeting the faithfuls in St Peter's Square here.
As the 83-year-old Pope turned away after greeting the pilgrims standing behind the barricades along the kerbside to have a look at the nativity scene at the St Peter's square on December 31 night, the woman caught hold of his arm and pulled him close after he had extended his hand towards her.
A visibly annoyed pontiff gave a couple of light taps on her arm to get himself freed from her grip, even as his security personnel and accompanying officials intervened. The Pope looked upset after the incident as he walked away from the crowd.
(IANS)