Apulia (Italy), June 14 (IANS): Anil Joseph Thomas Couto, the Archbishop of Delhi, and General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), on Friday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with Pope Francis at the G7 Summit's Outreach Session in Borgo Egnazia, Italy.

Admiring his commitment to serve people, Prime Minister Modi also extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit India at an early date.

"Met Pope Francis on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. I admire his commitment to serve people and make our planet better. Also invited him to visit India," the Prime Minister posted on X after meeting the Pope.

"The meeting of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with His Holiness Pope Francis on the sidelines of the G7 meeting of world leaders is a very good gesture symbolising the clear intent of our Prime Minister to be a world leader ensuring justice, peace and freedom in every part of the world, and especially to uphold the Constitution of India in letter and spirit to build a strong and vibrant India," Archbishop Couto said on Friday evening.

Meanwhile, as the Pope entered the meeting venue and met the world leaders, he was greeted with a hug from PM Modi.

In October 2021, the Pope received PM Modi during a private audience at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, which was also the first meeting between an Indian Prime Minister and the Pope in more than two decades.

In June 2000, late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had last visited the Vatican and met the then Pope, John Paul II.

India and The Holy See have friendly relations dating back to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1948. India is also home to the second-largest Catholic population in Asia.