OC

A meeting between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) and an International Jain delegation took place on 31 May 2016 in the offices of the same Council. His Eminence Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the PCID, and Mr. Nemu Chandaria, Chairman of the Institute of Jainology, led the respective delegations.

This was the third meeting between the PCID and Jain delegation, led by the Institute of Jainology, London, the last two being in 1995 and 2011. Moreover, there have been several contacts between the Jain community and the PCID since 1986. The PCID, in collaboration with the local churches and Jain organizations in India, the UK and the USA, organized Jain-Catholic Dialogue meetings in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

In the aforesaid meeting, held in an atmosphere of mutual respect and friendship, members of the delegations expressed satisfaction with the cordial relations and cooperation that exist between both the Christian and Jain communities in countries where they live in close proximity.

While expressing the desire to further deepen cooperation, the delegations agreed that it must be ever more strengthened at the local level to better contribute towards the common good of society. In particular, they stressed the importance of educating younger generations so that they may be aware of their own traditions, and come to know and better respect the traditions of others.

With an aim to identifying concrete areas of convergence as the basis of cooperation, they discussed the topic of ‘Taking care of the Earth, the home of the human family’ whereby emphasis was given to the need for both Jains and Christians to work together, joining hands with all believers and people of good will to make the earth liveable and peaceable for all.

They reflected on the Jain principle of ‘non-violence’ (Ahimsa) towards all forms of life and that of Christian ‘compassion’ and ‘justice’ for the poorest and most vulnerable people by calling for responsible stewardship of the natural world. They found common elements that can motivate and advance cooperation between Jains and Catholics.

They also recognized that these elements, on a practical level, call upon the followers of both religious traditions to promote respect for the environment, non-exploitation of natural resources, reduction of wastefulness, care for all forms of life, and concern for future generations.

© http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino.html - 1 giugno 2016

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Parole del Santo Padre

Vi do il benvenuto e mi piace questo incontro, un incontro che fa crescere la nostra responsabilità nella cura del creato, di quel dono che tutti noi abbiamo ricevuto — il dono del creato — perché ne abbiamo cura. Il creato è lo specchio di Dio, è lo specchio del Creatore, è lo specchio della natura, di tutta la natura, è la vita della natura e anche il nostro specchio. A noi, a tutti, piace la madre Terra, perché è quella che ci ha dato la vita e ci custodisce; direi anche la sorella Terra, che ci accompagna nel nostro cammino dell’esistenza. Ma il nostro compito è un po’ curarla come si cura una madre o come si cura una sorella, cioè con responsabilità, con tenerezza e con la pace. Vi ringrazio per tutto quello che voi fate in questo compito e rimaniamo uniti in questo ideale, in questo compito, in questo lavoro di fare che la nostra madre, la nostra sorella Terra sia custodita; nella consapevolezza che curare, custodire il creato, la Terra, è curare e custodire l’umanità intera. Grazie.

© Osservatore Romano - 2 giugno 2016