“Buddhists and Christians walking together…”
Taipei November 16, 2017.
Cardinal Tauran Louis, President of the Pontifical Council for Religious Dialogue has rewarded with a Certificate of Appreciation Fr. Franco Sottocornola,sx for his great and long-term contribution to interreligious dialogue. The ceremony took place during the sixth Buddhist-Christian Dialogue: “Buddhists and Christians walking together on the path of Nonviolence” (November 13-16, 2017).
Fr. Franco was among the speakers with his lecture on the “Message of Jesus and non-violence”. More than one hundred participants (Buddhist and Christians), coming from 19 countries, the majority Asian, gathered in the Buddhist Monastery of Ling Jiou Shan, Taiwan. During the Colloquium, Dharma Master Xin Dao, the founder of the Monastery, led a meditation on “To have peace in the world, it must first be found in the heart”. Several Buddhist denominations collaborated in the organization: Fo Guang Shan, Tzu Chi, and Taipei Buddhist Association. To promote non-violence through dialogue and mutual knowledge at all levels is not an option, but an obligation.
Fr. Paulin Batairwa,sx , Executive Secretary of the Office for Interreligious Dialogue of the Regional Conference of Taiwanese Bishops, was among the key organizers of the event.
For further information, you can read the Final Statement of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the end of the Sixth Buddhist-Christian Colloquium (Taiwan, 13-16 November 2017) in:
http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/11/17/171117b.html
