The Dicastery of Inter-Religious Dialogue of the Holy See has issued a congratulatory letter on October 17, sending festal greetings to all those celebrating Diwali and urging Christians and Hindus to work together for peace in a divided world.
October 24 this year is the Hindu festival of Diwali. 'Diwali', also known as 'Deepavali' means "rows of oil lamps" in Sanskrit and is the Festival of Lights, celebrating the victory of truth over falsehood, light over darkness and good over evil. Diwali is one of the most important festivals in Hinduism, and the celebration is full of lights, fireworks, prayers and family meals.
On the occasion of the festival, the Dicastery for Inter-Religious Dialogue of the Holy See sends "joyous greetings and best wishes" to all Hindus who will be celebrating Diwali. "May this festival bring you grace and happiness, and rekindle the lives of everyone," the letter read.
The congratulatory letter noted that "increasing tensions, conflicts and violence around the world based on religious, cultural, ethnic, racial and linguistic identities and superiority", which are often "driven by competition, populist and expansionist policies, and the unbridled misuse of social media”, which seriously hinders brotherhood and peaceful coexistence in society.
The congratulatory letter invited all to seek the path of "communal joy" - that is, "the ability to live in people in a spirit of respect, love and trust, Diversity and Difference". And the channel to common joy is "people-to-people encounter and dialogue, listening to and learning from each other", which will also lead to "shared responsibility", prompting us to recognize the inherent dignity and legal rights of each person.
The document ends with an appeal to all, “May we, Christians and Hindus, joining hands with those of all other religious traditions and people of goodwill, promote … the spirit of conviviality and co-responsibility to transform this world into a secure home for everyone to live in with peace and joy!”
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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