HINDUS AND CHRISTIANS: EDUCATE YOUR COMMUNITIES TO DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 2001 (VIS) - Made public today was the annual message of Cardinal Francis Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, addressed to Hindus on the occasion of the Feast of Diwali, which symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, of good over evil.

The theme of the message, published in English, French, and Italian, is: "Hindus and Christians: educating their respective communities to dialogue." Cardinal Arinze writes that "Mutual respect and esteem for our respective religious traditions lead to a greater awareness of our responsibility to cooperate in promoting social peace and harmony. War and violence waged in the name of religion are contrary to the true spirit of religion and can endanger its very existence. Education for dialogue, greater communication and practical cooperation will contribute to overcoming the causes of violence and to promoting a spirit of mutual understanding and respect. I propose that we intensify our efforts to foster relations and promote dialogue between our communities."

"Education and training in promoting better relations between the followers of religions is an urgent priority. Growing awareness of religious pluralism should not lead to indifference. Dialogue," the Cardinal added, "while respecting the religious traditions of others, requires us to be firmly rooted in our own religious tradition and to acknowledge the objective differences between religions."

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