DHARAMSHALA, March 15: Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan people, congratulated the new Pope of the Catholic church calling his ascension to papacy a “historic moment.”
“On behalf of the Tibetan people everywhere I would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to Your Holiness on your election as the first Latin American and the first Jesuit to be the Roman Pontiff. This is indeed a very historic moment,” Sikyong Sangay said in congratulatory letter Thursday.
Born December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires was elected on Wednesday and took the name Francis I.
“As you have remarked at your audience to the massive crowd at the St. Peter’s Square immediately after your election, indeed the Conclave of the Cardinals “went to the end of the world to choose a Pope”, and have wisely revealed a humble, simple, first non-European and a remarkable champion of the poor to lead the flock of over 1.2 billion Catholics of the world. Undoubtedly, your congregation will receive your blessings and leadership at this critical juncture,” the Tibetan leader added.
“Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity have co-existed peacefully in Tibet for centuries. His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet has shared deep and profound experiences with various leaders of the Christianity, including Pope John Paul II. He has gone on pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Assisi, Lourde and Fatima and many other places of worship. The promotion of inter-religious harmony is his life-long mission,” Sikyong said.
However, China, while congratulating the new Pope on Thursday warned the Vatican not to interfere in what China calls its internal affairs.
Hua Chunying, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said the Vatican “must stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, including in the name of religion” and called for the dissolution of diplomatic ties between the Vatican and Taiwan.
Tensions have been simmering between the two with the Vatican accusing Beijing of suppressing Catholicism under Communist rule and demanding religious freedom to China’s Catholics.
China has an estimated 12 million Roman Catholics administered by a state-supervised church that has appointed bishops without papal approval.
