Vatican City: The Vatican’s Diwali message urges Christians and Hindus to join hands to foster mutual respect among all people to check growing intolerance and violence in the world.
The message the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue issued on October 16 stresses the need to go beyond tolerance and genuinely respect and appreciate the “diversity of cultures and customs within our communities.” This, it adds, will help create a healthy society.
The council sees many threats to such a society and lists the growth of intolerance that spawns violence in many parts of the world as one of them.
“On this occasion, therefore, we wish to reflect on how Christians and Hindus can together foster mutual respect among people – and go beyond tolerance, in order to usher in a more peaceful and harmonious era for every society,” says the message issued by Council president Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.
Diwali or Deepavali falls on October 19 this year.
“What is also needed is genuine respect and appreciation for the diversity of cultures and customs within our communities, which in turn contribute to the health and unity of society as a whole,” the message says.
It wishes the festival to illumine the minds and hearts of the “Hindu friends” and bring joy to their hearts and home and strengthen families and communities.
It also joins the Hindus to express gratitude for the many wonderful things that are happening throughout the world.
Tolerance, the message says, means being open and patient with others, recognizing their presence in our midst. “If we are to work for lasting peace and true harmony, however, tolerance is not enough. What is also needed is genuine respect and appreciation for the diversity of cultures and customs within our communities, which in turn contribute to the health and unity of society as a whole.”
The message cautions against viewing pluralism and diversity as a threat to unity because such a stand would “tragically” lead to intolerance and violence.
Respect for others is an important antidote to intolerance since it entails authentic appreciation for the human person, and his or her inherent dignity. In the light of our responsibility to society, fostering such respect demands showing esteem for different social, cultural and religious customs and practices. It likewise demands the recognition of inalienable rights, such as the right to life and the right to profess and practice the religion of one’s choice.
The path forward for diverse communities is thus one marked by respect. While tolerance merely protects the other, respect goes further: it favors peaceful coexistence and harmony for all. Respect creates space for every person, and nurtures within us a sense of “feeling at home” with others. Rather than dividing and isolating, respect allows us to see our differences as a sign of the diversity and richness of the one human family.
Grounded in our own spiritual traditions and in our shared concern for the unity and welfare of all people, may we Christians and Hindus, together with other believers and people of good will, encourage, in our families and communities, and through our religious teachings and communication media, respect for every person, especially for those in our midst whose cultures and beliefs are different from our own.
In this way, we will move beyond tolerance to build a society that is harmonious and peaceful, where all are respected and encouraged to contribute to the unity of the human family by making their own unique contribution.