CORDIAL RELATIONS BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND JAINS

VATICAN CITY, 6 DEC 2011 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue today met with a delegation from the Jain religion. The meeting was presided by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the pontifical council, and by Nemu Chandaria, deputy chairman of the board of directors of the Institute of Jainology.

  "This meeting was the second one after that of 14 February 1995. Moreover, there have been contacts between the Jain community and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue since 1986", reads an English language communique published today. During the meeting, "held in an atmosphere of mutual respect and friendship, members of the delegations expressed satisfaction over the cordial relations and cooperation that exist between both the Christian and Jain communities in countries where they live their day-to-day lives in proximity.

  "While expressing the desire to expand mutual concrete collaboration", the communique adds, "the delegations agreed that it must be ever more strengthened at the local levels to better contribute towards the common good of the entire society. In particular, they stressed the importance of educating the younger generations to be aware of their own traditions, and to know and better respect those of others.

  "With an aim to find concrete areas of convergence as the basis of collaboration, they discussed the Jain principle of 'non-violence' (Ahimsa) and that of Christian 'charity'. They found some common elements that can motivate and sustain Jain-Catholic collaboration, recognising the differences between the two principles.

  "They also recognised that these elements, on a practical level, call upon the followers of both the traditions to promote mutual respect, truthfulness, honesty, freedom, peace, social harmony and to commit themselves to eliminate every form of violence against human beings, in particular injustice, poverty and exploitation of natural resources".
CON-DIR/                                VIS 20111206 (300)