Photos

Making their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican to report on how things are going in their dioceses, the Indian bishops went to the pope's summer villa at Castel Gandolfo, where they had a few minutes alone with the pope, then met with him in groups of six, seven or eight for a 20-minute discussion. 

The history of the Catholic Church in India is very extensive. It traces its origin in the preaching of the Apostle St. Thomas, who, according to tradition, came to India in 52 A.D.
In the 9th century the patriarch of the Nestorians in Persia sent bishops toIndia. There is a record of an Indian bishop visiting Rome in the early part of the 12thcentury.