“With the immense potential religions have to create conducive conditions for harmony in society, all religious leaders have the sacred duty to encourage their followers to strive for harmony,” reads the press release.
Signed by Card Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, prefect of the Vatican body, and its secretary, Mgr Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage, it is titled “Hindus and Christians: Promoting harmony amidst diversity and despite differences”.
“May God, the source of light, fill your minds and hearts with peace and joy, and your families and communities with grace and happiness” is the Vatican wishes for all Hindus.
“More than ever our cities and countries are increasingly becoming diverse,” reads the message. “People of different cultures, religions, ethnicities, languages and ideologies live side by side, either by choice or chance, in almost every part of the globe.
“This diversity is viewed by most as a great source of mutual growth, learning and enrichment. At the same time, it is also rejected in some parts of the world because it is seen as a potential threat to harmony, even leading to conflict.”
Concerned by this problem, the dicastery proposes some reflections on how Christians and Hindus can promote harmony.
“In the divine project, diversity and differences are not meant to be a threat to anyone’s existence but a gift for harmonious coexistence.”
Unfortunately, this has been “supplanted by ideologies that favour exclusion, discrimination and conformity on both the individual and collective level. Religious fundamentalism, extremism, fanaticism, racism and hyper nationalism in different parts of the world are some examples of ideologies that destroy harmony and give rise to suspicion, prejudice, mistrust, hatred and fear among people, thereby impeding them from forging bonds that sustain human fraternity and social friendship.”
This calls for the urgent rediscovery of God's plan for humanity, nurturing brotherhood, as Pope Francis suggested in his recent apostolic journey to Asia.
“All need to work towards breaking down stereotypes, fostering empathy, sensitivity and respect for those who are different from us. We also need to promote dialogue at all levels for a greater awareness, understanding and appreciation of the richness of diversity and differences.”
Finally, “As believers grounded in our own respective religious traditions and as persons with shared commitment to strengthening harmonious coexistence in society, may we, Christians and Hindus, join hands with the people of other religious traditions and with people of good will, do all that we can to promote harmony amidst diversity”.