MessageofthePontificalCouncilforInterreligiousDialogue

ontheoccasionoftheBuddhistFestivalof
Vesakh/Hanamatsuri2017,22.04.2017

VesakhisthemostimportantfestivalforBuddhistsandcommemoratesthemaineventsinthelife
ofBuddha.

ThefestivalofVesakh/Hanamatsuri2017iscelebratedondifferentdatesinthevariouscountries
ofBuddhistculture,accordingtotheirspecifictraditions.Thisyearthefestivalwillbecelebratedin
EastAsiancountrieson3MayandinthemajorityofcountriesofBuddhisttraditionon10May.

Forthisoccasion,thePontificalCouncilforInterreligiousDialoguehassentthefollowingmessage
toBuddhists:

ChristiansandBuddhists:WalkingTogetheronthePathofNonviolence
DearBuddhistFriends,

1.InthenameofthePontificalCouncilforInterreligiousDialogue,weextendourwarmest
greetingsandprayerfulgoodwishesontheoccasionof Vesakh .Maythisfeastbringjoyandpeace
toallofyou,toyourfamilies,communitiesandnations.

2.Wewishtoreflectthisyearontheurgentneedtopromoteacultureofpeaceand nonviolence.
Religionisincreasinglyattheforeinourworldtoday,thoughattimesinopposingways.While
manyreligiousbelieversarecommittedtopromotingpeace,therearethosewhoexploitreligionto
justifytheiractsofviolenceandhatred.Weseehealingandreconciliationofferedtovictimsof
violence,butalsoattemptstoeraseeverytraceandmemoryoftheotherthereisthe
emergenceofglobalreligiouscooperation,butalsopoliticizationofreligionand,thereisan
awarenessofendemicpovertyandworldhunger,yetthedeplorablearmsracecontinues.This
situationrequiresacalltononviolence,arejectionofviolenceinallitsforms.

3.JesusChristandtheBuddhawerepromotorsofnonviolenceaswellaspeacemakers.AsPope
Franciswrites,JesusHimselflivedinviolenttimes.Yet,Hetaughtthatthetruebattlefield,where
violenceandpeacemeet,isthehumanheart:foritisfromwithin,fromthehumanheart,thatevil
intentionscome( Mk 7:21)(2017MessagefortheWorldDayofPeace, NonViolence:AStyle
ofPoliticsforPeace,no.3).HefurtheremphasisesthatJesusmarkedoutthepathofnonviolence.
Hewalkedthatpathtotheveryend,tothecross,wherebyHebecameourpeaceandputanend
Eph
tohostility(cf. .)
2:1416)(ibid .Accordingly,tobetruefollowersofJesustodayalsoincludes
embracingHisteachingaboutnonviolence(ibid.).

4.Dearfriends,yourfounder,theBuddhaalsoheraldedamessageofnonviolenceandpeace.He
encouragedalltoOvercometheangrybynonangerovercomethewickedbygoodness
overcomethemiserbygenerosityovercometheliarbytruth.( Dhammapada
,no.XVII,3).He
taughtfurtherthatVictorybegetsenmitythedefeateddwellinpain.Happilythepeacefullive,
.
discardingbothvictoryanddefeat.(ibid XV,5).Therefore,henotedthatthe selfconquest
is
greaterthanthe conquest ofothers:Thoughonemayconquerathousandtimesathousandmen
,
inbattle,yetheindeedisthenoblestvictorwhoconquershimself(ibid VIII,4).

5.Inspiteofthesenobleteachings,manyofoursocietiesgrapplewiththeimpactofpastand
presentwoundscausedby violenceandconflicts.Thisphenomenonincludesdomesticviolence,as
wellaseconomic,social,culturalandpsychologicalviolence,andviolenceagainsttheenvironment,
ourcommonhome.Sadly,violencebegetsothersocialevils,andsothechoiceofnonviolenceasa
Address
styleoflifeisincreasinglydemandedintheexerciseofresponsibilityateverylevel[] (
ofHisHolinessPopeFrancis ontheOccasionofthePresentationoftheLettersofCredence
,15
December2016).

6.Thoughwerecognizetheuniquenessofourtworeligions,towhichweremaincommitted,we
agreethatviolencecomesforthfromthehumanheart,andthatpersonalevilsleadtostructural
evils.Wearethereforecalledtoacommonenterprise:tostudythecausesofviolence:toteach
ourrespectivefollowerstocombatevilwithintheirheartstoliberatebothvictimsandperpetrators
ofviolencefromeviltobringeviltolightandchallengethosewhofomentviolencetoformthe
loveandliveinpeacewitheveryoneandwiththe
heartsandmindsofall,especiallyofchildren,to
environmenttoteachthatthereis nopeacewithoutjustice,andnotruejusticewithout
forgivenesstoinvitealltoworktogetherinpreventingconflictsandrebuildingbrokensocietiesto
urgethemediatoavoidandcounterhatespeech,andbiasedandprovocative reporting to
encourageeducationalreformstopreventthedistortionandmisinterpretationofhistoryandof
scripturaltextsandtoprayforworldpeacewhilewalkingtogetheronthepathofnonviolence.

7.Dearfriends,mayweactivelydedicateourselvestopromotingwithinourfamilies,andsocial,
political,civilandreligiousinstitutionsanewstyleoflivingwhereviolenceisrejectedandthe
humanpersonisrespected.Itisinthisspiritthatwewishyouonceagainapeacefulandjoyful
feastofVesakh !

CardinalJeanLouisTauran
President

+BishopMiguelngelAyusoGuixot,MCCJ
Secretary

Audiences
ResignationsandAppointments
HolySeePressOfficeCommuniqu:AudiencewithTheirSereneHighnessesPrince
HansAdamIIandHereditaryPrinceAloisofthePrincipalityofLiechtenstein
LiturgyoftheWordpresidedatbytheHolyFatherFrancisintheBasilicaofSan
BartolomeoallIsolaTiberina,inmemoryoftheNewMartyrsofthe20thand21st
centuries