Annual Vatican message to Hindus focuses on peace in the ‘spirit of Assisi’
October 31, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue issued its annual message to Hindus ahead of Diwali (Deepavali), the Hindu festival of lights.
The message—entitled “Hindus and Christians: Forging pathways of peace together in the ‘spirit of Assisi’”—recalls the 40th anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II’s 1986 day of prayer for peace there.
“As persons grounded in our respective religions, and as people with shared values, may we, Hindus and Christians, draw renewed inspiration from the fortieth anniversary of the Assisi gathering,” the dicastery’s prefect and secretary wrote in their October 30 message.
They added:
May we imbibe ever more the spirit of Assisi in our own lives by praying for peace, living the spirit of fraternity in our daily lives, and, by engaging actively in interreligious dialogue, joining hands with people of other religions and all people of goodwill in working for peace in our world. We wish you all a Happy Deepavali!The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
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