Srila Prabhupada writes the Pope

Montreal, August 3, 1968 

His Holiness The Pope, Paul VI 
Vicar of Jesus Christ, 
State of Vatican City, 
Rome, Italy 

Your Holiness: 

Please accept my respectful humble obeisances at Your lotus feet. I beg to introduce myself as an Indian monk, following the Vedic principles of religious life. At the present I am in the renounced order of Sannyasa (aged 72 years) and preaching God consciousness all over the world …. 

My mission is in the line of Lord Caitanya, Who is Personified Love of Godhead and Who advented Himself 482 years ago in India … His mission is to revive God consciousness all over the world on the basis of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the science of God …. 

The principle of Srimad-Bhagavatam is that any religious faith which helps a man to develop Love of God, without any motive, and without being hampered by any material condition, is transcendental religion … The special significance of human life is to achieve Love of God as the prime perfection of life … 

This tendency is very much deteriorating, and because Your Holiness is the Head of a great religious sect, I think we should meet together and chalk out a program for cooperation …. 

The human society cannot anymore be allowed to continue a Godless civilization at the risk of decreasing truthfulness, hygienic principles, forgiveness, and mercifulness … 

The Krishna Consciousness movement is meant for overhauling the whole situation. We are creating men of character, and we are training our disciples to become Lovers of God, or Krishna …. 

I do not wish to prolong the body of this letter further, but if you think that a meeting with you will be beneficial for the human society at large, I shall be very much pleased if Your Holiness will grant me an interview. 

Thanking you in anticipation for an early reply. 

Yours in the service of the Lord, 
AC Bhaktivedanta Swami 
(Founder Acarya of International society for Krishna Consciousness)