This article covers the diplomatic relationship between India and the Holy See: the establishment of relations, Papal visits to India, and visits by Indian leaders to the Vatican. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) brief updated in July 2026, and it describes relations as of that date.

Establishment of relations

According to the MEA brief of July 2026, diplomatic relations between India and the Holy See were established in 1948. In 2023, the two sides celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The brief states that the Holy See has always acknowledged the importance of India, both in global and Asian terms.

Papal visits to India

There have been three Papal visits to India:

  • Pope Paul VI visited Mumbai in 1964 to attend the International Eucharistic Congress.
  • Pope John Paul II came to India in February 1986. He visited different parts of India, including the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, and met the Indian leadership.
  • Pope John Paul II paid a State Visit to India from 5-7 November 1999 and met the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister.

During the 1999 visit, Pope John Paul II presided over the concluding celebrations of the Special Assembly of Synod of Bishops of Asia and signed and released the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. The Special Assembly had been held at the Vatican from 19 April to 14 May 1998, and its concluding celebrations were held in New Delhi.

Recent high-level contacts

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, visited Vatican City on 30 October 2021, on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Rome. He was received by Pope Francis and had a private audience with him.

The Prime Minister met Pope Francis again on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in Apulia, Italy, in June 2024. In September 2024, he interacted with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of the State of the Holy See, in New York during the United Nations General Assembly.

President Smt. Droupadi Murmu attended the State Funeral of Pope Francis on 26 April 2025. She was accompanied by a delegation comprising the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, the Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Shri George Kurian, and the Deputy Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Shri Joshua De Souza. On 25 April, she paid homage to Pope Francis by placing a wreath at St. Peter's Basilica.

An Indian delegation led by Shri Harivansh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, attended the solemn ceremony of the Inauguration of the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV on 18 May 2025. He was accompanied by Sh. Yanthungo Patton, Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland, and the delegation had an audience with Pope Leo XIV.

Earlier calls on the Pope

The brief records that several Indian dignitaries have called on the Pope in the Vatican over the years:

  • Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, during his visit to Italy in July 1955
  • Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi, in 1981 during her visit to Italy
  • Prime Minister Shri I.K. Gujral, in September 1997
  • Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in June 2000 during an official visit to Italy

Vice President Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat attended the ceremony on the demise of Pope John Paul II in April 2005.

Inaugurations of earlier Pontificates

India has also been represented at the start of earlier Pontificates. Shri Oscar Fernandes, Minister of State for Programme Implementation and Statistics, attended the ceremony for the inauguration of the Pontificate of H.H. Pope Benedict XVI on 24 April 2005. Prof. P.J. Kurien, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, represented India at the inauguration of the Pontificate of Pope Francis on 19 March 2013.