The archbishop of Mumbai reported that his closeness to the Shroud was a profound and intense spiritual experience. He prayed 'before the most precious relic we have' so that 'through the passion of Christ, the Church in India, in such times of difficulties and persecution, can continue to bear witness to the Gospel'.
India has a population of almost 2 billion people of whom, taking the sub-Continent as a whole, 17,005,000 or 1.55% are Catholics.