Cardinal Tauran urges freedom of religion for peace

(November 14, 2011) The Vatican’s leading official for inter-religious dialogue who visited India said that conflicts in the world arise often not from differences but from deficient understanding of each other. “Differences enrich us in everyday life. Differences must cause us to search for truth,” Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue said at an inter-religious meet held at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi Sunday evening. Speaking to the gathering of various religious heads, cardinals, prelates, scores of priests, nuns and lay people, the prelate stressed on the need for freedom of religion for peace saying, “Every religion promotes peace. We know how much India needs peace and harmony and the world needs it too.” Cardinal Tauran along with council president, Archbishop Pierluigi Celata, were in India Nov. 4-14 to follow up on Pope Benedict XVI’s inter-faith meet in Assisi, Italy on Oct 27. Chief guest Salman Khursheed, federal minister for law and minority affairs said, “Peace in our times is not just a desired outcome but it is indeed an imperative.” He said “we are here to celebrate a dialogue that began 25 years ago in Assisi and dedicate our selves to peace.” Representatives of Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Judaism, Bahaism and other faiths also spoke at the occasion. Apostolic nuncio Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio and several other leaders of India’s Catholic Church were among those who participated in the Delhi meet.