Hindus have applauded Vatican for its “message for the feast of Deepavali”, extending “best wishes and cordial greetings” to “Hindu Friends”.
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, welcomed the Vatican for wishing “a happy celebration of Deepavali”, and “in a spirit of friendship” urging God to illumine our lives and deepen our happiness and peace.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, extolled Vatican’s thought on the occasion, which stated: “Regardless of our ethnic, cultural, religious and ideological differences, all of us belong to the one human family”.
Rajan Zed agreed with Vatican’s call given in the message: “to foster and strengthen the human family through friendship and solidarity”.
Zed urged His Holiness Pope Francis to visit a Hindu temple in the near future to promote mutual understanding and respect between the faiths. All religions should work together for a just and peaceful world, Zed stressed.
Rajan Zed says that in our shared pursuit for the truth, we can learn from one another and thus can arrive nearer to the truth. This dialogue may help us vanquish the stereotypes, prejudices, caricatures, etc., passed on to us from previous generations. As dialogue brings us reciprocal enrichment, we shall be spiritually richer than before the contact, Zed adds.
Titled “Christians and Hindus: fostering human relationships through friendship and solidarity”, this Deepavali message was signed by President Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Secretary Father Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot of Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. Zed suggested that it would be even better if such messages were signed by Pope himself.
Pope Francis leads the Roman Catholic Church (headquartered in Vatican City), which is the largest of the Christian denominations. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. Most popular of Hindu festivals Deepavali (Diwali), the festival of lights, aims at dispelling the darkness and lighting up the lives and symbolizes the victory of good over evil. It falls on November three this year.