Syed Rashid Ali, a small-time vendor in the crowded alleys of Ballimaran in the Walled City, had only heard of the Vatican and seen the Pope on television all these years. But a connection was established on Monday when he heard about the Pope’s message to the Muslims on Eid: come together and fight poverty.

While the Vatican has sent its greetings to the Muslims by post all these years, for the first time a representative of the Pope personally went to meet Muslim leaders and read out the Pope’s open message. The text was released worldwide on September 11, according to leaders.

On Monday, the day of Eid, Auxiliary Bishop of Delhi Archdiocese Fr Franco Mulakkal read out the message to Muslim leaders, including Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, at Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s residence.

Nabi Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Yahya Bukhari was also present at the event.

“This has come for the first time,” Yahya Bukhari said. “The message talks about Muslim and Christian unity but we should not limit ourselves to that. India has a secular fabric and we are an example of unity.

“We welcome the message.”

The message is signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata — president and secretary, respectively, of the Pontifical Council. “The Pope has invited all of us to work together to remove poverty,” Mulakkal said.

He said the message will be published in the Archdiocese magazines so that congregation members can work together with Muslims.

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