Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Mumbai (Agenzia Fides) – Reinforce ties with the most influential Hindu leaders, with the goal of renouncing and isolating the Hindu radicalist groups responsible for the violence against Christians: with this spirit, the Catholic Church in India has begun a series of high-level meetings and a program of initiatives of dialogue between Hindus and Christians, with faithful at the heart of the activity.
The first event was a meeting held in recent days in Mumbai, attended by Indian Bishops, including Cardinal Oswald Gracias and the Apostolic Nuncio in India, Archbishop Lopez Quintana, prominent Hindu leaders such as Sri Jayendra Sarawati Swami, and the extraordinary presence of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
On of the central themes of the meeting, which was marked by a spirit of friendliness and sincere respect, was that of the violence against Christian minorities in India, beginning with the last series of reported attacks last year in Orissa.
The Hindu leaders firmly condemned the violence, affirming that India is a “spiritual country,” that respects the rights and religious freedom of minorities. One of the related topics in the discussion was that of the alleged “forced conversions” that some Hindu groups claim are imposed by Christians on the dalit and the marginalized. Cardinal Gracias clarified that “the conversion is a profoundly personal choice” and that in the Catholic Church, there is no such thing as “forced conversions.”
The Catholic and Hindu leaders coincided on the fact that Christian and Hindu faithful should collaborate on social projects, especially in the areas of education and healthcare. Those who believe in Christ, the conference said, should react to the threats and aggressions of the Hindu radicalists with prayer and fasting, lifting their voice in influential arenas, dialoguing, and meeting with Hindu leaders in a spirit of brotherhood, as they have for centuries joined in trying to build harmony, peace, reconciliation, and unity. They should also follow the luminous example left by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, today followed by so many religious and lay persons, faithful to her ideal that said that a human being of any race, culture, religion, or social class should be respected and loved as a creature made in God's image and likeness.
Some of the faithful present proposed the formation of a Christian and Hindu delegation that could carry out an interreligious pilgrimage of peace throughout the various states of India, especially those most marked by violence, visiting the Christians who are suffering and spreading awareness among local people, through a message and testimony of harmony among various communities. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 16/06/2009)
