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Sikh delegation meets Pope Leo XIV

Gavin Kermack
BBC News, West Midlands
Ben Godfrey
BBC Midlands Today
Bhai Sahib A man with a long white beard, wearing a white Sikh turban, a long off-white coat and a white scarf, is standing in front of the Pope, a man wearing a white papal skullcap and the white and cream papal robes. They are each holding one side of a scroll of paper with writing on it. A man wearing black and pink cardinal's robes is standing nearby.Bhai Sahib
Bhai Sahib, Professor Mohinder Singh met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Monday

The chairman of a Sikh charitable organisation has spoken of the importance of dialogue between people of different faiths, following a meeting with the new Pope.

Bhai Sahib, Prof Mohinder Singh, of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ) in Birmingham, was among a Sikh delegation who attended an audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Monday.

"I was overjoyed, and of course I congratulated him on his inauguration," said Prof Mohinder Singh.

"I felt very happy."

Bhai Sahib The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, a man with short dark hair, is wearing a black T-shirt under a black shirt. He is standing next to his wife, Olena Zelenska, who has shoulder-length blonde hair and is wearing a black suit. They are with a bearded man, Bhai Sahib, Professor Mohinder Singh, who is wearing a long black jacket two medals.Bhai Sahib
Also in attendance were the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and First Lady Olena Zelenska

The Pope met representatives from a range of non-Catholic Churches and other religions who had attended the Pope's inauguration Mass the previous day.

It was the third audience with a Pope for Prof Mohinder Singh, who was the first Sikh in history to receive the pontifical order of knighthood for his service to interfaith relations.

He said he believed the new Pope would continue the example set by his predecessor, Pope Francis, in being a symbol of hope and peace.

"There was much optimism [among Sikhs] in what the late Pope was doing and has done," he explained. "And we feel that this will continue with the new Pope – that was the feeling I was getting."

Bhai Sahib A bearded man, Professor Mohinder Singh, is shaking hands with a man, Irish President Michael D Higgin, who has white hair and is wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and a colourful tie.Bhai Sahib
Prof Mohinder Singh also met the Irish president, Michael D Higgins

In his address to the delegates, Pope Leo praised the work made by his predecessor towards interreligious dialogue and spoke of a "common path", involving everyone "in a spirit of human fraternity".

Prof Mohinder Singh said this was "very, very important".

"As per our own scripture, our Sikh scripture, all humans are sparks of the divine, humanity being one global family," he said. "We need to have interfaith cooperation and collaboration – that is almost essential."

He added that he thought Pope Leo would continue, as Pope Francis had done, to represent sincerity and simplicity.

"But he will also work on peace-building," he added. "His first speech was on peace.

"That, I feel, is important for him."

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