Jains visit Vatican for talks

(Dec. 07, 2011) The Vatican and the highest international institution of Jainism met for the second time on Tuesday in Rome to discuss common ground, focusing particularly on the Jain principle of non-violence. The meeting between a delegation of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID), led by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, and 14 Jain delegates led by the deputy chairman of the London-based Institute of Jainology, Nemu Chandaria, took place at the Vatican.
According to a press release from the Pontifical Council, the delegates looked for concrete areas of convergence as a basis of collaboration between the two religions. They focused on the principle of non-violence, comparing it to the Christian notion of ‘charity’, finding common ground for further collaboration, while highlighting differences between the two principles. In particular, Msgr. Andrew Thanya-anan Vissanu, under-secretary of PCID, said that while Jains extend the principle of non-violence and absolute respect for life to all living beings, including plants and animals, Christians maintain that man is at the centre of creation and thus is called to respect, protect but also use God’s gifts. The meeting recognized the “cordial relations and cooperation that exist between both Christian and Jain communities in countries where they live their day-to-day lives in proximity” and stressed the need to strengthen ties at local level to “better contribute towards the common good of the entire society”.
Msgr Vissanu stressed that the Rome meeting was a “good starting point” to promote mutual understanding in a community, where in some cases the distinction between Catholics and other Christian denominations is still unclear.