The Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue has extended a message of greetings to Hindus ahead of Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights, emphasizing the importance of interreligious cooperation for global peace. The message conveyed "warmest prayer and festive wishes" to Hindu communities worldwide.
In its communication, the Dicastery reflected on the historic first gathering of the world's religions in Assisi in 1986, an event convened at the invitation of Pope Saint John Paul II. This encounter, the Dicastery noted, established Assisi as a crucial setting where people of diverse faiths united in prayer, driven by the conviction that religions and interreligious solidarity are vital for addressing global crises and fostering peace.
As the 40th anniversary of this significant gathering approaches, the Dicastery stated that the commemoration provides an opportune moment to collaborate with Hindus. The aim is to reflect on how both communities, Christians and Hindus, can collaboratively forge pathways of peace, drawing enduring inspiration from the enduring "spirit of Assisi."
The message from the Dicastery explored several concrete pathways for achieving this shared goal. These include coming together with a shared commitment to prayer for peace and actively nurturing "the spirit of universal fraternity exemplified by Saint Francis." The Dicastery underscored that a greater flourishing of fraternity among people directly correlates with peace taking deeper root in individual hearts.
Above all, the Dicastery highlighted that interreligious dialogue lies at the very core of the spirit of Assisi. It possesses profound potential to advance the broader cause of global peace. Citing Benedict XVI, the Dicastery underscored the "vital necessity" of engaging in such dialogue to promote understanding and harmony among different religious traditions.
The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue reiterated that the spirit of Assisi is fundamentally a commitment to peace. It expressed hope that Hindus and Catholics, as individuals deeply rooted in their respective religious traditions and sharing common values, will find renewed inspiration from the upcoming 40th anniversary. This renewed inspiration, the message suggested, should encourage them to increasingly embrace the spirit of Assisi by praying for peace, living out the spirit of fraternity in their daily lives, and actively participating in meaningful interreligious dialogue.