Expressing deep faith in the need and importance of inter-religious dialogue and interaction, Deputy Pope Cardinal Jean-Louis Taran  from the Vatican, wishes greetings to Sikhs on Guru Nanak Parkash Purab in a communique sent to University teacher, inter-faith speaker and WSN columnist Surinder Kaur Khalsa. She shares the good wishes and her interaction with Christian missionaries.

Iam delighted to share that through the office of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue  headed by Deputy Pope Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Bishop Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ, His Holiness the Pope from the Vatican has shared greetings with me on the occasion of Guru Nanak Parkash Diwas, and has prayed that, “May all your celebrations marking this holy feast strength the spirit of belonging and the bond of unity in your families and communities and thereby enhance peace and happiness among you.”

I have received these greetings as a resource person for Inter-religious Dialogue Cell which mandates me to deliver core lectures every year to batches of Christian Missionaries. These lectures are not just formalities. I focus on deep philosophy, religious tenets, Sikh history, contemporary issues -1984 genocide, loss in partition of Punjab, international situations and other contemporary issues. At the end each batch starts the reading of Guru Granth Sahib in English with explanation. When these missionaries are designated as Cardinals, Bishops, Principals or Teachers of their institutions they deliver proper knowledge of various religions to their followers.

Reverent Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran in his communique has said that “on this occasion focuses on how we both Christians and Sikhs can promote education towards universal fraternity. This theme, while assuming great relevant and significance in the present day global context of disturbingly growing apathy, indifference, intolerance, hatred and violence, also calls for making greater effort on our part towards promotion of universal fraternity.”

Taking stock of the building hate in the world today, the letter sent on the occasion of birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the letter says, “More than ever now it is being felt across the globe that universal fraternity as the foundational principle, upon which the edifice of life of humans as individuals and communities must be raised, needs new expressions. Because we are all related to one another as children of God, ensuring education about universal relationality of humans and our responsibility towards one another, as well as, the cosmos, acquires a great importance for our times in order to advance the wellbeing and care of all persons. Echoing this need, Pope Francis unequivocally pointed out that “The common home of all men and women must continue to rise on the foundations of a right understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life, of every man and every woman,…(and) of created nature.” as said in his address to the UN General Assembly on 25 September 2015.

“May all your celebrations marking this holy feast strength the spirit of belonging and the bond of unity in your families and communities and thereby enhance peace and happiness among you.”

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, Deputy Pope

Deputy Pope Cardinal Jean Louis Touran visited India in 2007  in an Inter-Religious Conference where Swami Chidanand Saraswati, Swami Agnivesh and Dadi Janaki Devi of the Brahmkumaris movement represented Hinduism, Muni Soorishwar Nath ji Jainism, Cardinal Baptista from Goa, Christianity, Vice-Principal of Deoband institution represented Islam etc. I represented Sikhism and spoke on the concept of Miri-Piri -unification of Bhakti and Shakti. I told everybody to cover their heads. The Deputy Pope specially waited and had a prolonged talk with me. He said that he had met several Sikhs during his global tours, what he knows about Sikhism is that they are jolly people and share their food in community Kitchen.

With a keen desire to know more about Sikhism, the next day a 6-hour long lecture was arranged which was attended by Deputy Pope and other honorable personalities. I gave lecture with the help of powerpoint presentation and videos. I explained them Sikh Philosophy (Shabad Guru, Panj Gun, Panj Vikar, Miri-Piri, no casteism in Sikhs, anti-ritualism, Sikhs moral duties, Guru-Sikh relationship, Karma-Bakhshis Siddhant, Concept of Jeewan-Mukat and Shahadat), Sikh History(1469-2005), Sikh Rehat Maryada (distributed an English version to all) and various other fields of Sewa and contemporary challenges. They were stunned to know that Sikhism is not a mere fraction of Hindu religion as it is portrayed by both Hindu and Sikh scholars but a complete and full-fledged religion with distinct identity.

“For a peaceful, cooperative, caring and harmonious global society, there is no denying that inter-religion dialogue, dialogue and interaction among religious leaders and practitioners is the key.”

Subsequently, Deputy Pope Touran carried all the information to His Holiness the Pope in Vatican. Later they decided to have independent relationship with Sikh community and 2009 onwards started wishing Gurpurab to Sikhs worldwide. Every year before Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Sahib, His Holiness the Pope addresses our community through various channels and his wishes are printed and sent to some prominent Sikhs. I am fortunate and privileged to be one of them.

Deputy Pope’s letter to the Sikhs with profoundly Sikh terminology of “Guru Nanak Parkash Purab”,  says, “As believers grounded in our own respective religious traditions and as persons with shared belief that the Fatherhood of God is the foundation of fraternity among us, may we, Christians and Sikhs, together with other believers and people of good will, rediscovering our connectedness with and responsibility towards one another and nature, promote, individually and collectively, education towards universal fraternity.”

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According to Pope Francis, “Education towards universal fraternity is nothing but education for peace itself in the complementarity of diverse sensitivities and of proper roles.” Undoubtedly, for a peaceful, cooperative, caring and harmonious global society, there is no denying that inter-religion dialogue,  dialogue and interaction among religious leaders and practitioners is the key.