Vatican message to Buddhists focuses on nonviolence

April 24, 2017

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has issued its annual message to Buddhists on the occasion of Vesak, the commemoration of Buddha’s birthday.

“Jesus Christ and the Buddha were promoters of nonviolence as well as peacemakers,” the pontifical council stated in its message, “Christians and Buddhists: Walking Together on the Path of Nonviolence.”

“Though we recognize the uniqueness of our two religions, to which we remain committed, we agree that violence comes forth from the human heart, and that personal evils lead to structural evils,” the pontifical council continued, adding:

We are therefore called to a common enterprise: to study the causes of violence: to teach our respective followers to combat evil within their hearts; to liberate both victims and perpetrators of violence from evil; to bring evil to light and challenge those who foment violence; to form the hearts and minds of all, especially of children, to love and live in peace with everyone and with the environment; to teach that there is no peace without justice, and no true justice without forgiveness; to invite all to work together in preventing conflicts and rebuilding broken societies; to urge the media to avoid and counter hate speech, and biased and provocative reporting; to encourage educational reforms to prevent the distortion and misinterpretation of history and of scriptural texts; and to pray for world peace while walking together on the path of nonviolence.

 

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Further information:

• Message of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue on the occasion of the Buddhist Festival of Vesakh/Hanamatsuri 2017 (Holy See Press Office)