A meeting at Singapore’s Cathedral Good Shepherd brought together some 60 Christian and Taoist religious leaders, who reiterated the need to work together in the future and promote individual responsibility so as to end the crisis in human values.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – Christian and Taoist leaders from Asia and Europe met in Singapore to talk about the "ethical dimension" in their respective religious beliefs.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Mgr Felix Machado, chairman of the Office for Ecumenism and Interreligious Affairs of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (OEIA-FABC), stressed the need for religions to respond to the current “crisis of ethics".
For the Archbishop of Vasai, the meeting also provided an opportunity "to learn a lot about the rich tradition of Taoism and also the religious situation in China".
Titled ‘Christian and Taoist Ethics in Dialogue’, the conference was sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the Archdiocese of Singapore and the Taoist Federation of Singapore.
Held from 5 to 7 November at the Cathedral Good Shepherd, the event brought together 60 people, 30 Christians and 30 Taoists, from mainland China, France, Switzerland, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea.
Archbishop Machado said that the meeting "focused on various topics”, including among others: today’s crisis of ethics and hope for tomorrow, Taoist and Christian responses to the crisis of ethics, social institutions and the transformation of human persons, global ethics and the interdependency of all human beings.
According to the archbishop, the work was characterised by "a cordial and friendly” atmosphere that allowed participants to learn about “the essence of both religious traditions."
At the end, everyone agreed upon the need to work together in the future.
“We recognise that today’s crisis of ethics requires a rediscovery of universal values based on social justice, integral ecology, as well as the dignity of human life at every stage and circumstance,” the prelate said.
For this reason, “no one can escape the moral responsibility of transforming unjust socioeconomic, political, cultural, religious and legal structures.”