Deputy CM Y Patton speaking on his return to Nagaland on May 26.
Morung Express News
Dimapur l May 26
Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton said that Pope Leo IV asked him if he was a Christian, noticing the necklace Patton was wearing, when he met the newly elected head of the Catholic Church at the Vatican.
Patton was part of the Indian state delegation, led Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh that attended the inaugural mass of the 267th Pope in the Vatican City on May 18.
He returned to Nagaland on May 26, landing at the Dimapur airport, where the Dimapur Lotha Hoho and Chumoukedima Lotha Hoho jointly organised a reception programme for him.
Recalling his encounter with the Pope, Patton —a devout Catholic — said that the Pontiff noticed the cross he was wearing. “When I met the Pope, he saw my necklace. He asked me, ‘What is that, your necklace?’ And he asked me, ‘Are you a Christian?’”
He then showed him the cross that was hanging from his necklace. “I took out the cross. I told him, ‘This cross was blessed by none other than Pope Benedict XVI when I visited Jerusalem.”
According to Patton, the Pope did not ask if he was a Baptist, a Catholic, a revivalist or AG (Assembly of God). He described the meeting as a memorable, once in a lifetime experience.
He said that he was fortunate to have been nominated as a member of the Indian delegation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He extended gratitude to the Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. He added that the latter made the initial move to recommend Patton.
