Pope John Paul II, the most traveled pontiff in history, continues his efforts to bridge the gap between faiths. It is, many admit, an almost impossible mission. As he embarked on his most recent trip, for example, violence between Muslims and Christians exploded in Nigeria. Yet the worsening religious strife and violence only underscores the urgency of his message.
Last November, the pope visited India, where he encountered the hostility of Hindus offended by the efforts of Roman Catholic missionaries to attract converts. Extremists claim that the missionaries engage in forced conversions. Although Christians are a mere 2.4 percent of the 1 billion people who live in India, they have been victims of appalling violence by rightwing Hindus, including the rape of nuns, assaults on and killings of priests and their families, and destruction of churches. These acts are an affront to the Indian nation, its secular history and its claim to a multiethnic identity.
The pope was forced to walk a thin line. His visit was designed to mark the third millennium of the Roman Catholic Church, an era that the pope claimed would put a priority on Asia. At the same time, he called for tolerance and cooperation between the faiths. Unfortunately, there is little chance of that until India's political leaders strongly condemn the sectarian violence and apprehend the individuals who are responsible.