by Card. Oswald Gracias

On the occasion of 83rd birthday of Benedict XVI, Cardinal. Oswald Gracias, President of the Bishops' Conference of India has sent his best wishes through AsiaNews, together with those of all the bishops in India and the nations’ 18 million Catholics.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The Church in India greets our Most Holy Father on  this happy occasion of his birthday and we wish our Beloved Pope all God’s Blessings and Strength to continue to lead and guide the Church.    The Church in India gives grateful thanks for his Leadership and Defense of Gospel Values.  Our hearts are filled with joy and pride for our Beloved Pope who is a Visionary and one, who leads the Church Universal in the way taught by our Lord and as a faithful descendant of the Apostle Peter.

Our Holy Father Benedict XVI is the world's leading voice for human dignity founded upon the divine creation of man.  Our Holy Fathers staunch defense of Human Rights and Human Dignity was already recognized and  well noted when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, as Prefect of the Congregation of Faith.  In his Pontificate, the Holy Father is acknowledged and respected by all as the  Promoter of Peace and his passionate Defense of Creation – the Pope has made a an strong connection between protecting the environment and promoting peace and emphatically stated that : "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation",

Cardinal Oswald Gracias is also President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) belonging to the bishops of Latin rite, said :”We also give thanks to God for the Pontificate of His Holiness Benedict XVI, which has been a continuity from our most cherished and loved Servant of God John Paul II .  Very close to Pope Benedict’s XVI and pontificate was the implementation of Vatican II.

Unity of Churches, has been a significant during the Pontificate of Benedict XVI .  Ecumenism has been a focus of the Pontificate of the  Holy Father.

Dialogue with other religions has received an impetus during the pontificate or  Pope Benedict XVI who has long been hailed as a scholar and a statesman and a gifted academic,.

Church in India, the Bishops and the faithful are praying for the Holy Father in these challenging times and pray that God gives a long life to our Beloved Pope.

God Bless Pope Benedict XVI !

 

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