Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Goa (Agenzia Fides) - “Gospel Values and Cultures: The Challenge of witnessing the Christian Faith in Indian Cultures” was the title of a keynote address given by Cardinal Paul Poupard, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue at a Meeting of Directors of Catholic Cultural Centres in India taking place in Goa. “Christianity is very ancient to India and has taken deep roots here… But like every other culture in the world, Indian cultures are subjected to continuous evolution and adaptation” said the Cardinal and he added, “Though the people of Goa are of different faiths and from different cultural backgrounds, this tiny land is marked by a peaceful harmony and respect for each other”.
In his address Cardinal Poupard reflected on the closing words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew which, according to tradition was the first to be brought to India. “The Matthean Gospel ends on a mountain with Jesus exhorting his disciples with these words: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you all the time, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:18-20)
“The Church in India, as elsewhere, is called to live and witness its faith in Jesus Christ. As I said earlier, India’s rich and diverse cultural heritage offers both a challenge and an opportunity to live and proclaim the faith in Jesus Christ. It calls for an evangelization of cultures and the inculturation of the faith.”.
Cardinal Poupard concluded quoting from a homily by Cardinal Ivan Dias, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, (opening Mass for the Asian Mission Congress in Thailand on October 19 2006) “We must acknowledge and respect the precious treasures of the cultural and religious heritage which, like the three Wise Men who adored the child Jesus, all people carry in their bosom, as also the sincere efforts they are making to discover Truth by following their respective scriptures and saints as guiding stars. Just as the Wise Men were restless until they found Jesus and placed their treasures before Him and adored Him, so also the peoples of Asia, with their varied and rich cultures and religious heritage and traditions, will be restless until they find and adore Him who alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (AP) (21/11/2006 Agenzia Fides; Righe:29; Parole:362)
