Vatican 'foreign minister' embarks upon visit to India (Vatican News)

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, has embarked upon a visit to India, now the world’s most populous nation.

The visit’s purpose, according to the Secretariat of State, “is to consolidate and strengthen the bonds of friendship and collaboration between the Holy See and the Republic of India.”

The South Asian nation of 1.4 billion (map) is 73% Hindu, 14% Muslim, 5% Christian, 3% ethnic religionist, and 2% Sikh.