The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Gregorian Center for Interreligious Studies – in collaboration with the Italian Hindu Union, the Italian Buddhist Union, the Institute of Jainology and the Sikhi Sewa Society – are organizing the one-day conference “Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains and Sikhs. In dialogue and collaboration to renew and rekindle hope in our times”.
The conference, which will take place on Wednesday, June 4 in the Aula Magna of the Pontifical Gregorian University, aims to promote dialogue and collaboration between believers of these religions in Italy, initiated in 2018, in the spirit of the Conciliar declaration “Nostra Aetate”.
This year also marks the 60th anniversary of this document of the Second Vatican Council which indicated the relations the Catholic Church wants to have with the followers of other religions as one of the sure ways to promote love, unity and communion among peoples. There is indeed a great and urgent need in our present to rekindle hope, which seems to be fading for a large number of people, if we are to build a better future together for each and everyone.
The opening greetings will be offered by Fr. Pino Di Luccio, SJ (President of the Collegium Maximum, Pontifical Gregorian University), H.Em.R. Card. George Jacob Koovakad (Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue), Franco di Maria Jayendranatha (President, Italian Hindu Union), Filippo Scianna (President, Italian Buddhist Union), Mehool Sanghrajka, MBE (Managing Trustee, Institute of Jainology, London) and Gursharan Singh (Secretary, Sikhi Sewa Society).
Four sessions will follow, each of which will be addressed from the five different religious perspectives: The understanding of ‘hope’ (Session I); Renewing and re-igniting hope in our times and the role of religions, religious leaders and believers (Session II); Testimonies- concrete experiences (personal and communitarian) of translating hope into Peace (Session III); Building Hope as Contribution to the Common Good: An urgent co-responsibility in the spirit of universal fraternity (Session IV).
The concluding session will be conducted by Msgr. Santiago Michael (Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue). During the conference there will also be a musical interlude, organized by the Italian Hindu Union, conducted by Maestros Nicolò Melocchi and Sanjay Kansa Banik.