Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Christians and Buddhists can build a culture of compassion and fraternity together. It is on this issue that the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue addressed its message to Buddhists on the occasion of Vesakh, the most important holiday for Buddhists who commemorate the main events of Buddha's life in it.
With the document, Buddhists are also invited to take part in the event on the theme "Reinventing the Global Compact on education", which will be held in the Vatican on 15 October.
Finally, in the message there is an invitation to pray "for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic and for those who assist them. We encourage the faithful to live this difficult moment with hope, compassion and charity ".
"This year - reads the document signed by the president of the dicastery, card. Miguel Ángel Card. Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ and the secretary Msgr. Kodithuwakku K. Indunil J. - we would like to reflect with you on the theme “Buddhists and Christians: Constructing a Culture of Compassion and Fraternity”. We are mindful of the high value our respective religious traditions give to compassion and fraternity in our spiritual quest and in our witness and service to a wounded humanity and a wounded earth”.
It goes on to recall what Pope Francis said to the Supreme Patriarch of Buddhists in Thailand last November: “we can grow and live together as good “neighbors” and thus be able to promote among the followers of our religions the development of new charitable projects, capable of generating and multiplying practical initiatives on the path of fraternity, especially with regard to the poor and our much-abused common home. In this way, we will contribute to the formation of a culture of compassion, fraternity and encounter, both here and in other parts of the world” (cf. Visiting the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch, Bangkok, 21 November 2019).
"Interdependence brings us back to the theme of compassion and fraternity. In a spirit of gratitude for your friendship, we humbly ask you to accompany and support your Christian friends in fostering loving kindness and fraternity in the world today. As we, Buddhists and Christians, learn from one another how to become ever more mindful and compassionate, may we continue to look for ways to work together to make our interconnectedness a source of blessing for all sentient beings and for the planet, our common home".
"We believe that to guarantee the continuity of our universal solidarity, our shared journey requires educational process. To this end, a global event will take place on 15 October 2020 on the theme “Reinventing the Global Compact on Education”. “This meeting will rekindle our dedication for and with young people, renewing our passion for a more open and inclusive education, including patient listening, constructive dialogue and better mutual understanding” (Pope Francis, Message for the Launch of the Global Compact on Education, 12 September 2019). We invite you to work together with all to promote this initiative, individually and within your communities, to nurture a new humanism. We are also happy to see that Buddhists and Christians are drawing on deeply held values and working together to uproot the causes of social ills in various parts of the world."
