Message from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue to Hindus

In the Sermon on the Mount, "Jesus called on his disciples to love their enemies, to pray for those who hated them, to do good to those who wronged them," and in the Hindu tradition as well, "non-violence is one of the more important teachings." The Message recalls how Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Indian nation, is a "model of non-violence" that has "led by example to the point of laying down his life because of his refusal to engage in violence."
It then explains how non-violence is encouraged by many religions and is "is central to our beliefs as the way to promote truth, light, mutual respect, freedom and harmony. As religious leaders called to uphold the truth found in our respective religions, let us help to foster non-violence among our followers and support it in their actions. Let us do all we can to promote the sacredness of human life, the good of the poor and lowly in our midst and collaborate, through dialogue, to foster the dignity of the human person regardless of race or caste, creed or class." Lastly, there is an exhortation to Hindus and Christians, "especially in the present situation," to let themselves be "won over by love without reserve, with the conviction that non-violence is the only way to build a global society that is more compassionate, more just and more caring."

© Agenzia FIDES

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