Does a photo of a papal representative at a pagan shrine mean the Church accepts pagan religions?
The short answer
No. A photo of someone lighting a candle at a non-Christian shrine says nothing about that person's beliefs, still less the Church's. Without context we cannot judge the action; we can only say the photo does not show the Church capitulating to paganism.
A photo of someone lighting a candle at a non-Christian shrine says nothing about that person's beliefs, much less the Catholic Church's. It shows only that the person lit a candle at a non-Christian place of worship.
A photograph cannot supply context, so we do not know why the papal nuncio lit a candle at a Hindu shrine, and without that context we cannot comment on his action. We can say only that the photo does not demonstrate that the Church has capitulated to paganism.
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