Pope John Paul, ignoring Hindu appeals to halt the Catholic church's drive for converts in Asia, told other religious leaders yesterday in New Delhi that converting to another religion had to be recognised as a right.
The Pope, in India to launch a blueprint for the new millennium for the Catholic Church in Asia, stressed greater dialogue between the world's faiths to promote peace. But he returned to the central theme of his visit: that evangelisation and conversions had to be a priority for the church.