Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received an invitation to new Pope’s oath-taking ceremony but he has nominated two ministers to attend, says state-run Radio Pakistan.
Earlier in the month, Cardinal Robert Prevost was unexpectedly elected as the new head of the Catholic Church. He became the first American pope, assuming the name Leo XIV.
In his first Sunday speech last week, the newly elected Pope expressed his satisfaction with the recent truce between India and Pakistan and expressed the hope that negotiations will result in a long-term agreement between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
The Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Kheal Das Kohistani, and Punjab’s Minister for Minority Affairs, Ramesh Singh Arora, have been nominated by PM Shehbaz to attend the ceremony, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
They will take part in Pope Leo’s oath-taking ceremony tomorrow in Vatican City on behalf of Pakistan.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope who headed the Church for 12 years and actively worked to modernize the staid institution, passed down last month, making Leo the 267th Catholic pope.
Francis implemented a number of changes and permitted discussion on contentious topics including women’s ordination and more acceptance of LGBT Catholics.
Prior to the conclave, some cardinals urged adherence to Francis’ agenda of increased transparency and reform, while others declared their desire to revert to earlier customs.
In his first Sunday speech, the pope also expressed his “deep sadness” at Israel’s Gaza offensive.
He demanded the immediate release of the remaining hostages, humanitarian assistance, and a ceasefire. “No more war!” the pope said, echoing the late Pope Francis’s repeated appeal.
