He has moved on to Georgia - another country with only a tiny Catholic community. Before he left India, the Pope insisted that the Catholic church had a right to continue missionary work in Asia, saying conversion should be recognised as a human right. They demanded that the Pope order a moratorium on conversions. 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.