Vatican Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, has sent his greetings and best wishes to the Hindu community ahead of the feast of Diwali.

In his message to mark the celebrations, the Cardinal urged Christians and Hindus to pay urgent attention to the education of believers to build a peaceful future:

“Ignorance is the first and, perhaps, the principal enemy in the life of believers, while the combined contribution of every enlightened believer provides a rich resource for lasting peace.”

Cardinal Tauran also made suggestions for meaningful dialogue saying relationships between people of different religions needed to be nourished by regular meetings, patient listening, collaborative action and, most importantly, mutual respect.

The Most Rev Kevin McDonald, Archbishop of Southwark and Chair of the Committee for Other Faiths for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales also extended the hand of friendship to the country’s Hindu communities:

“The themes that come across strongly in this greeting are the common search for peace by members of all religions and the importance of religious freedom and dialogue as the means by which we can work for peace together.”

Cardinal Tauran concluded his message to the world’s Hindus by highlighting: “[a] willingness on the part of the Catholic Church to meet and collaborate with you, your families, your community leaders and all followers of Sanatana dharma, in order to promote harmony in society and peace in the world.”