ASIA/THAILAND - Interreligious dialogue at the service of civic communities

Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) – Dialogue among different religions at the service of civic communities, can help avoid conflict and further reconciliation at all levels: this is one of the issues being discussed at a meeting at the Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Center di Sampran, near Bangkok, organised by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. The week long meeting opened yesterday, 12 July. Participants include members and consultors of the Pontifical Council and several delegates for Interreligious Dialogue representing various Asian Bishops' Conferences. Among those present Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council, Mgr Pier Luigi Celata, Secretary, and Mgr Andrews Thanya-Anan, under secretary, as well as Bishops from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Three macro-areas of dialogue will be discussed: Christian dialogue with Buddhists, Taoists, Confucians, Shintoists; Christian dialogue with Hindus, Sikhs and Jainists; dialogue with Muslims.
A major intention of the meeting is to view interreligious dialogue in relation to its function within the civic community, “this will be most useful for the situation in Thailand”, a local source in Thailand told Fides. In recent months the local Catholic Church in Thailand said that intervention on the part of the country's religious leaders could serve to explore new paths for dialogue and mediation, towards finding a peaceful solution to the crisis (see Fides 15/5/2010). The leaders of different religious communities in Thailand (Buddhists, Christians and Muslims), held in high esteem by the people, met several times, publicly expressing common support for initiatives of dialogue and reconciliation in Thai civic society and political activity. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 13/7/2010)