"Asia is the place where you can find the very old and very rich religious traditions, specifically in India... This is something the Catholic church must take into account," Dr Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See press office, told Worldview India on Doordarshan news channel, according to a release from the programme producers.

The statement assumes significance in the wake of the protest campaign launched by some sangh parivar outfits against alleged "fraudulent conversions carried out by Christian missionaries which were creating schisms within the traditional tribal and village societies." Dr Valls said the supreme spiritual leader of Catholics was looking forward to his three-day visit to India.