Benedict Mar Gregorios gave new dimension to spirituality: VP

Vice President Hamid Ansari today lauded former Catholic Bishop Conference of India president Benedict Mar Gregorios, terming the late archbishop as "promoter of inter-religious dialogue and harmony".
Addressing a function marking inauguration of birth centenary celebrations of Mar Gregorios, Ansari said the former gave a "new dimension" to spirituality by special emphasis on improving the living conditions of poor.
The Vice President noted Mar Gregorios made a "significant" contribution in the spheres of education, agriculture, rural development and housing for the poor.
"Archbishop Gregorios was a promoter of inter-religious dialogue and harmony. He was ever willing to intervene on behalf of the administration in resolving communal tensions.

"Such were the qualities that led Shri KR Narayan, the former President of India to remark that Archbishop Mar Gregorios was 'the ideal representative and symbol of Indian secularism which is suffused with spiritual heritage'," Ansari said during his speech.
He also dubbed Mar Gregorios as a "scholarly" spiritual leader, great spokesperson for secularism and Indian culture, and an educationist.

"His focus on ecological balance and his advocacy of education as an empowering platform could well be the template for building a sustainable and empowered India," he said.
The event was also attended by Rajya Sabha deputy speaker PJ Kurien, Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla and Apostolic Nuncio to India Salvatore Pennachio among others.

During her speech, Heptulla stated she had shared rapport with the Benedict Mar Gregorios and praised showers on him dubbing him as "one of the finest" human beings Indian Christianity ever produced.
"He made a sincere attempt to concretize the Indian vision contained in the axiom lokasamastha sukhino bhavanthu and emerged as a spectacular icon of Indian secularism and of all the finer values enshrined in our Constitution," she added.
The Minister noted the late Archbishop was also an environmentalist and did his "best" to protect nature by promoting agriculture, animal husbandry and other ecological enterprises.
"He advocated cleanliness of surroundings through responsible practices and by planting trees, and cleanliness of mind by constant and universal fraternal love. His passion for the environment and for cleanliness closely resonates with our Government's Swacch Bharat Mission today," she added.