Kolkata: 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, 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.
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.
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.
PTI
