But the Pope made clear that evangelisation in Asia remained a priority for the Catholic church in the next century. Religious freedom constitutes the very heart of human rights. On Saturday, the Pope insisted that it was the moral duty of Christians to spread the word of the Gospel throughout Asia. The Pope came to India specifically to further the Christian idea of conversion. Other religious leaders also made veiled criticisms.
Catholic officials deny any efforts to force conversions.
The Press Trust of India said three activists of the Hindu hardline Shiv Sena party were arrested outside the inter-faith meeting, as they staged a protest against conversions. Three others had been arrested on Saturday. Festival of lights Hindu activists burned Christian symbols ahead of the Pope's speech. The Pope's other main theme during the meeting was the need for greater dialogue between religions to promote peace. Earlier, he held a mass for an estimated 60,000 members of India's Christian minority in Delhi.