The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in the Vatican has extended their wishes for all Hindus on Diwali or Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights.
The message from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue “extends its most cordial greetings” and expresses its wish that this feast may “light up” their lives, even amid the anxiety and uncertainty arising from the pandemic.
The Vatican said, in its message issued on October 29, “extends its most cordial greetings to you on the occasion of Deepavali which falls on November 4 this year.”
“May the observance of this feast even amid anxiety and uncertainty arising from the present pandemic, and its resultant worldwide crises, light up your lives, homes and communities with the hope for a better future!” the message read.
Along with “the scars that are fresh in our minds from the pandemic”, added the message, there is “a sense of resignation, despair and despondency whenever devastating things happen across the globe”. The message continued to share some thoughts on how “we, both Christians and Hindus, can bring the light of hope in people’s lives in such challenging times”.
Vatican’s message was published a day before the meeting of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Pope Francis. Amidst the meeting, several human rights groups expressed their concern over the increasing persecution in India since Modi came to power in 2014.
The ppower of solidarity through assisting the needy, more so with an inter-religious character and responsibility, gives visibility to the light of hope, read the Vatican statement. “Bringing light together in people’s lives through inter-religious solidarity also validates the usefulness and resourcefulness of religious traditions in society”.
Bringing its message to a close, the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue said that “as believers grounded in our own respective religious traditions and as persons with a shared vision for and shared responsibility towards humanity”, in particular suffering humanity, “may we Christians and Hindus, individually and collectively, and joining hands with people of other religious traditions and of good will, reach out to people who are in despair, to bring light into their lives!”. Finally, the message concluded wishing, “Happy Deepavali!”
