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Attempt to spread violence pains my heart: PM at Christmas event
PM Modi said that the teachings of Lord Christ celebrate love, harmony and brotherhood and it is important for all to work to make this spirit stronger.
New Delhi: It pains my heart when there are attempts to spread violence and cause chaos in society, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a Christmas event on Monday while referring to the recent attack at a Christmas market in Germany that killed five people and Sri Lanka’s 2019 Easter bombings.
“It pains my heart when there are attempts to spread violence and cause disruptions in society. Just a few days ago, we saw what happened at a Christmas market in Germany. During Easter in 2019, churches in Sri Lanka were attacked. I went to Colombo to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the bombings. It is important to come together and fight these challenges,” Modi said while speaking at the Christmas celebrations hosted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in New Delhi.
He added that the teachings of Lord Christ celebrate love, harmony and brotherhood and it is important for all to work to make this spirit stronger.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) was established in 1944 and is the body which works closest with all the Catholics across India.
During the event, the Prime Minister also spoke about his ties with the Christian community and how he had met Pope Francis—the highest priest of the Catholics—twice in three years. He also said it was a moment of pride that Pope Francis made His Eminence George Koovakad a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.
Hailing India’s rescue missions that safely brought back Father Alex — a priest from Tamil Nadu who was in the Taliban custody for eight months and Kerala nurses from Iraq, the PM said: “It was very satisfying for me when we safely brought back Father Alexis Prem Kumar from war-torn Afghanistan. He was stuck there for eight months and was held hostage. We also brought back nurses.”
Modi announced that today India finds it a duty to bring back Indians in a crisis.
“Today India brings back any son of India wherever they are stuck in any difficult situation. India gives priority to human interests apart from national interests in its foreign policy. This world saw this during the Covid crisis,” he said.
He referred to the Covid-era and said, “During those times, some countries were unable to even bring back their own people. But we went beyond our capabilities to help poor countries and provided medicines to over 150 nations.”
