Vatican message for India’s ‘festival of lights’ emphasizes need for fostering harmony

Bangalore, India, Oct 31, 2024 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

The Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue issued a message at the celebration of Diwali — India’s biggest Hindu festival of lights, held this year on Oct. 31 — with the Holy See highlighting the need for promoting “harmony in diversity.”

“Diversity is seen by most as a source of mutual growth, learning, and enrichment. At the same time, it is also rejected in some parts of the world, as it is seen as a potential threat to harmony, even leading to conflict,” wrote Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, prefect of the dicastery.

The cardinal said the Vatican sought to share “some thoughts on how Christians and Hindus can promote harmony amid diversity and despite differences.”

“Throughout human history, human beings have always experienced difficulties living in harmony,” the message said. “Indeed, this has been the case whenever there is diversity and differences among peoples, resulting sometimes in displays of both hostile and subtle resistance.”

“Religious fundamentalism, extremism, fanaticism, racism, and hyper-nationalism in different parts of the world are some examples of ideologies that destroy harmony and give rise to suspicion,” it said.

Describing the challenge of “sowing the seeds of harmony amid diversity and differences” as “a practical necessity,” the Vatican emphasized that “it calls for action and collective effort from all,” including “individuals, families, educational institutions, media, communities, and nations,” in order to “work toward breaking down stereotypes, fostering empathy, sensitivity, and respect for those who are different from us.”

The message quoted Pope Francis in urging Christians and Hindus “to join hands with the people of other religious traditions and with people of goodwill, [to] do all that we can to promote harmony amid diversity and differences [with a sense of responsibility and in the spirit of fraternity and inclusiveness].”

“Many Hindus have welcomed the Vatican greetings for Diwali,” Father Antoniraj Thumma, the secretary of the Office for Dialogue and Ecumenism of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, told CNA on Oct. 31.

Thumma said the Sri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) based in Hyderabad responded by “welcoming” the Vatican message.

“The Vatican Diwali message is worth disseminating and promoting,” Vineet Singh Ranawat, manager of the SRCM headquarters, told CNA.

“It is not just a message. It is a mission that should be part of individual lives to bring one another closer and together,” he said.

This call for fostering harmony amid diversity comes amid increasing crimes against Christians in India, who make up 2.3% of the nation of 1.44 billion people. Nearly 80% of the population is Hindu.

The United Christian Forum, which monitors anti-Christian violence in India, released a report on Oct. 24 showing that through September of this year a total of 585 incidents targeting Christians have been recorded. In 2023 a total of 733 incidents of violence were recorded.

The celebration of the “festival of lights” this year has made history, with the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledging over 2.5 million earthen “diyas” (earthen oil lamps) being lit on the banks of the Saryu River in the Hindu holy city of Ayodhya on the evening of Oct. 30.