Message for Mahavir Jayanti 2018
Christians and Jains: Promoting a Culture of Care

Dear Jain Friends,

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue most cordially extends its festal greetings to all of you on the Birth Anniversary of Tirthankar Shri Vardhaman Mahavir which is celebrated this year on 29 March. May this commemorative occasion, besides advancing peace and enhancing happiness among you and around you, bring about a strengthening of caring relationships within your families and communities!
Caring relationships - witnessed and nurtured by humans across the globe - make us happy and hopeful, so also edified and encouraged. But there are also worrisome trends and tendencies people display in many parts of the world today that testify to a growing egocentric and narcissistic culture. This culture of insensitivity, indifference and inurement impels us to share with you, on this occasion, a few reflections on how both Christians and Jains can promote a culture of care.

Caring for fellow beings is one of the noblest things humans can show as acme of creation endowed with heart and mind, feeling and reasoning. Caring for one another strengthens our human interdependence and cosmic connectedness. It fosters a culture of solidarity and counters that of indifference which renders the humans callous towards and unconcerned about the cries of others for help, justice and equality.
Promotion of Culture of Care, therefore, requires urgent attention and consideration to help build genuine relationships and trust among individuals and groups. It is our shared responsibility arising from our being human and being inter-human, knit as we are in a web of relationship along with nature and every other creature.
Our respective religious traditions lay great emphasis on caring for one another and the earth. Tirthankar Mahavira said, “One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated” (Sutrakritanga 1:11:33). Jesus taught, “Do to others as you would have others do unto you” (Mathew 7:12) and his life was an example for it. This example inspires us Christians, as Pope Francis said, “to enter fully into the fabric of society, sharing the lives of all, listening to their concerns, helping them materially and spiritually in their needs, rejoicing with those who rejoice, weeping
with those who weep; arm in arm with others, we are committed to building a new world
(Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, Apostolic Exhortation, 24 November, 2013, n.269).
As believers rooted in our own religious convictions and as persons with shared values and responsibility towards people and towards the Mother earth, may we, joining hands with other believers and people of good will, promote a culture of care, starting from our own families and making it an essential element of our religious instructions and encouraging educational institutions and social media to do likewise, to make caring for others and the earth, a way of life.
Wish you all a happy feast of Mahavir Janma Kalyanak!

                                                    Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
                                                              President

                                                                      Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ
                                                                                             Secretary

MESSAGE FOR MAHAVIR JANMA KALYANAK DIWAS 2017

Christians and Jains: Together to foster practice of non-violence in families

Dear Jain Friends,

     The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sends you its warmest felicitations as you celebrate the 2615th Birth Anniversary of Tirthankar Vardhaman Mahavir on 9th April, this year. May this festive event bring happiness and peace in your hearts, families and communities!

     Violence, with its many and varied forms, has become a major concern in most parts of the world. So, we wish to share with you on this occasion a reflection on how we, both Christians and Jains, can foster non-violence in families to nurture peace in society.

Causes of violence are as complex and diverse as its manifestations. Not so infrequently, violence stems from unhealthy upbringings and dangerous indoctrinations. Today, in the face of growing violence in society, it is necessary that families become effective schools of civilization and make every effort to nurture the value of non-violence.

     Non-violence is the concrete application in one’s life of the golden rule: ‘Do to others as you would like others do unto you’. It entails that we respect and treat the other, including the ‘different other’, as a person endowed with inherent human dignity and inalienable rights. Avoidance of harm to anyone in any way is, therefore, a corollary to our way of being and living as humans.

Unfortunately, refusal by some to accept the ‘other’ in general and the ‘different other’ in particular, mostly due to fear, ignorance, mistrust or sense of superiority, has generated an atmosphere of widespread intolerance and violence. This situation can be overcome “by countering it with more love, with more goodness.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 18 February, 2008).

     This ‘more’ requires a grace from above, so also a place to cultivate love and goodness. Family is a prime place where a counter culture of peace and non-violence can find a fertile soil. It is here the children, led by the example of parents and elders, according to Pope Francis, “learn to communicate and to show concern for one another, and in which frictions and even conflicts have to be resolved not by force but by dialogue, respect, concern for the good of the other, mercy and forgiveness” (cf. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, 2016, nos.90-130). Only with persons of non-violence as members, can families greatly contribute to making non-violence truly a way of life in the society.

     Both our religions give primacy to a life of love and non-violence. Jesus taught his followers to love even their enemies (cf. Lk 6:27) and by His eminent example of life inspired them to do likewise. Thus, for us Christians, “non-violence is not merely a tactical behaviour but a person’s way of being” (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 18 February, 2008) based on love and truth. ‘Ahimsa’ for you Jains is the sheet-anchor of your religion - ‘Ahimsa paramo dharmah’ (non-violence is the supreme virtue or religion).

     As believers rooted in our own religious convictions and as persons with shared values and with the sense of co-responsibility for the human family, may we, joining other believers and people of good will, do all that we can, individually and collectively, to shape families into ‘nurseries’ of non-violence to build a humanity that cares for our common home and all its inhabitants!

Wish you all a happy feast of Mahavir Janma Kalyanak!

Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
President

Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J.
Secretary

Message for Mahavir Jayanti 2016

 Christians and Jains: Together to foster a culture of compassion and mercy for peace

Dear Jain Friends,

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sends you its warmest greetings on the occasion of the Birth Anniversary of Tirthankar Vardhaman Mahavir falling this year on the 19th of April. May all the religious celebrations, observances and festivities of this event bring you greater serenity and happiness, so also stronger familial and communitarian bonds of love.

           Human beings have always shown in our chequered history gestures of solidarity, to varying degrees, in the wake of miseries and mishaps that befell on fellow beings. Happily and fortunately, this magnanimous legacy is carried on by individuals and groups showcasing common humanness beyond every religious and parochial divide almost in all parts of the globe.

In the context of a disturbingly growing global phenomenon of insensitivity to the needs and cries of other human beings today, Pope Francis reminds us that “Mercy is divine and has to do with the judgement of sin (wrongdoing). Compassion has a more human face. It means to suffer with, to suffer together, to not remain indifferent to the pain and the suffering of others” (The Name of God is Mercy, p. 91).  Thus a compassionate person always manifests humanness, human face and human touch. A merciful person on the other hand shows understanding towards the offender and forgiveness for wrongdoing, both great and small. For this to happen, compassion, love, mercy, forgiveness and charity need to become the lifeline and lifestyle of all.

 Evidently, formation and education in this respect must begin in the family which “is the first and most important school of mercy” (Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of Peace, 2016) and of humanity and solidarity. It is in the family that children, led by the example of parents and elders learn and practice the values of love, sharing, respect, tolerance, peace, honesty, fidelity, justice, compassion, forgiveness etc. The role of educational institutions both secular and religious too is vital in inculcating in the students such values. Political as well as religious leaders and those handling social means of communication also have a great responsibility of being role-models as well as protectors and promoters of a culture of compassion and mercy.    

 ‘Compassion’ and ‘mercy’ are core values for both of our religious traditions. The Christian faith teaches us that God is full of compassion and mercy (Holy Bible, Psalm 103:8) of which Jesus Himself is the veritable epitome. On the directive of Pope Francis, we, the Catholics all over the world celebrate the current year as the Year of Mercy during which we seek to do gestures and acts of mercy. The profoundly rich concepts of Ahims? (non-violence), day? (mercy), karun? (compassion), ksham? (forgiveness) and the observation every year of a Day of Universal Forgiveness in your religious tradition surely call upon you the Jains to shape a more humane and compassionate world. Our traditions thus embrace each other in their purpose of nurturing compassion and mercy.

           As believers grounded in our own respective religions and as members of one human family conscious of our shared responsibility towards society, may we Christians and Jains, joining hands with others, through our acts of mercy and compassion in our daily lives, promote a culture of compassion and mercy for a world of peace!

Wish you all a happy feast of Mahavir Janma Kalyanak!

Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
President

Bishop Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J.
Secretary

Mahavir Jayanti 2015 Message

Christians and Jains: Together to promote care for the elderly

Dear Jain Friends,

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue most happily extends its greetings to you on the Birth Anniversary of Tirthankar (Path-Finder) Vardhaman Mahavir celebrated worldwide on 2 April this year. May the celebrations marking the feast reinforce and rejuvenate friendship and fellowship among individuals and families, as well as, strengthen your commitment to promote the care of all beings, especially the elderly in the families and communities, for enhanced peace, harmony and happiness in the world.

Carrying forward our cherished tradition, this year we reflect on how we, both Christians and Jains, can together promote the care of the elderly. In many societies across the world people tend to reject the elderly. Also worrisome and deplorable is the fact that many elderly people, especially the sick and lonely, are abandoned by their families and relatives because they feel they are a bother, burden and waste, or these are treated as the neo-outcaste of the contemporary world served with a modicum of contact and care. This trend is growing and causing concern for our society. Pope Francis rightly points out that every society “where the elderly are discarded carries within it the virus of death”(To Participants in the Plenary of the Pontifical Academy for Life, 5 March 2015) and a people “who don’t protect their elderly…is a people without a future, a people without hope”(Address to the Sant’Egidio Community, 15 June 2014). The task of guaranteeing the care due to the elderly, therefore, becomes a noble priority for all, as well as, an ethical imperative binding on all governments and political communities.

The elderly are the primary pillars of our multi-generational families. They live with us as our treasure and blessing because they transmit to us not only their rich life and faith experiences but also the history of our families and communities. These ‘treasures’ are to be fondly protected and gratefully cared for so that they continue to inspire and guide people with their wisdom of a lifetime. There is no denying the fact that there are still a large number of families around the world that, true to their traditions, values and convictions, give exemplary care to their aged;  Children in these families and even relatives and friends often make great sacrifices and go an extra mile to serve the elderly. This is praiseworthy because they are doing what is right and just in respect of their parents, grandparents and relatives who are old and in need of care, attention and assistance. While looking after the elderly is a sacred and moral duty binding on individuals and society, the professional and medical assistances offered by competent and charitable healthcare workers are best seen as steps the society takes towards ensuring care for the elderly.

All religions expound the moral obligations the children have towards their parents and elders, especially caring for them, with respect and love, till the end of their earthly life. The Holy Bible says, “Honour your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). But it also says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). Jainism lays so much emphasis on respect for life; in regard to humans this respect means upholding the dignity of every human person and all that it entails.

The growing neglect of the elderly by the young and tendency to abdicate filial responsibility towards the parents and grandparents, therefore invites us all, believers and others, to re-awaken in us, both at a personal and collective level, a sense of gratitude, affection and responsibility towards our parents, grandparents and other elderly people. Making them feel that they are a living part of our families, communities and society and that we are ever indebted to them is a sure way of challenging the ‘throw away’ culture. This is possible only “with the superabundant joy of a new embrace between the young and the elderly” (Pope Francis, General Audience, 11 March 2015). May we Christians and Jains, as persons grounded in our own respective religious traditions and conscious of our shared responsibility towards the society, joining hands with others, promote a culture where the elderly are loved, respected and cared for.

Wish you all A Happy Mahavir Jayanti!

Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
President

Father Miguel Ángel  Ayuso  Guixot, MCCJ
Secretary

Message for Mahavir Jayanti
 2014
Christians and Jains:
to promote fraternity, the foundation of peace

 Dear Jain Friends,

1.       The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue most cordially extends its greetings of peace and well-being to you as you commemorate the Birth Anniversary of ‘Tirthankar’ (Path-Finder) Vardhaman Mahavir on 13th April. May the festive occasion of Mahavir Jayanti strengthen more and more the bonds of fraternity and fellowship among us, and enhance the spirit of joy in your families and communities!

2.       In keeping with our cherished practice, we wish to share with you, on this occasion, some reflections on fraternity as the foundation of peace. When we reflect on fraternity, our thoughts are firstly directed to the institution of family. We would all agree that family is the first school of fraternity wherein its members belonging to different generations and with varying temperaments attitudes and perspectives, get inculcated in the spirit of mutual sharing, service and self-giving in view of ensuring the well-being of all. Such foundation of fraternity in the family facilitates and favours a more peaceful and harmonious living in the society which all people across the globe long for. Experience also teaches us that consolidation of true fraternity within the family correspondingly paves the way for cultivating it among people living in a pluralistic society. This conviction was clearly emphasised by Pope Francis when he said that family is “the wellspring of all fraternity and as such it is the foundation and the first pathway to peace” (Message for the celebration of the World Day of Peace, 2014).

3.       In every generation, age and epoch, the religious traditions have the calling to act as channels that promote fraternity both within the families and the wider society. In the present context, religions carry the more compelling onus of building peace on the bedrock of fraternity for the good of humanity. Truly, the ever increasing individualistic, egocentric and materialistic tendencies in our globalized world have not only painstakingly affected the otherwise closely woven familial and community relationships but also, as witnessed in many instances, rendered families and communities divided and wounded.

4.       In the face of a culture of individual well-being threatening to replace the culture of well-being and development of all, our contemporary situation registers a reduction in the sense of responsibility towards the needy brethren as well as in fraternal relationships the world over. In recent years, the alarming surge of discrimination, persecution and violence in different parts of the globe, especially in the name of religion, is a sign of the time summoning us all to act to sow the seed of cordiality and fraternity among the practitioners of different religions in order for us to harvest its fruits of peace and harmony in the world, our one and only common habitat.

5.       Pope Francis is eager to recall that “The many situations of inequality, poverty and injustice are signs not only of a profound lack of fraternity, but also of the abuse of a culture of solidarity,” and in the light of this, he makes it clear to all that “without fraternity it is impossible to build a just society and a solid and lasting peace” (Pope Francis, Message for the celebration of the World Day of Peace, 2014). The present situation therefore calls for a rediscovery and renewal of fraternal relationships, responsibility and cooperation both in families and communities so to build a solid fabric of fraternal, just and peaceful co-living.

6.       As believers grounded in our own respective religions and as persons with the shared conviction of being interrelated and interdependent, may we Christians and Jains, conscious of our co-responsibility towards society, join hands with people of other religious persuasions and of good will, to promote fraternity everywhere!

                        Wishing you all A HAPPY MAHAVIR JAYANTI!

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran
President

Father Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ 
Secretary

MESSAGE FOR THE FEAST OF MAHAVIR JANMA KALYANAK DIWAS 2013
Christians and Jains:  Joining hands to promote families as seedbeds of peace

Dear Jain Friends,

1.  The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue extends warm greetings and felicitations as you devoutly commemorate, on 23^rd  April this year, the Birth Anniversary of ‘Tirthankar’ Vardhaman Mahavir. May this feast fill your hearts and homes and that of your friends and well-wishers with serenity, peace and joy, strengthening a sense of belonging in your families and communities!

2.  In an age characterized by increasing instances of intolerance and violence in different parts of the world, affecting the harmonious co-existence of people, occasions such as this, besides offering us, adherents of diverse religions a momentous opportunity for spiritual advancement, also remind us to practice karuna (compassion) and ahimsa(non-violence) and to reflect upon our shared responsibility in promoting peace.  As members of one larger human family, we are called upon to contribute generously towards making our own families as seedbeds of peace.

3.  A healthy family, as we know, is one that is built on sound spiritual and ethical values where the innate dignity of each member is affirmed and protected in an atmosphere of respect, equality, openness and love. There the members, led by the exemplary lives of parents and elders, learn how to care for and share with others, patiently bearing with one another and submitting themselves, in a spirit of solidarity, to a common code, to ensure harmonious and peaceful co-existence and the good of the family. The family is, therefore, “one of the indispensable social subjects for the achievement of a culture of peace” as it is there the “peacemakers, tomorrow’s promoters of a culture of life and love are born and nurtured” (Pope Benedict XVI, Message for the World Day of Peace, 2013) and where everyone, particularly the young, progressively “learn to savor the genuine taste of peace” (Pope Benedict XVI, Message for the World Day of Peace, 2008). 

4.  As the primary school and agency of peace, it is the family that sets the tone for peace in the greater human family i.e., the world community. If humanity is to live in peace, needless to say, it ought to draw inspiration from values that form the bedrock of families: learning to respect the ‘other’ in his/her ‘otherness’ and working together  in honesty and solidarity for the common good.

5.   Unfortunately, due to the rise in the materialistic and competitive individualistic tendencies in today’s globalized world, adherence to these values and principles that bind the family members into one single unit has been adversely affected threatening cohesion, cooperation and co-existence in the families and this naturally finds its echo at the macro level as well.

6.   Grounded in our shared conviction that we are all brothers and sisters called to form one great human family and conscious of our moral responsibility as part of that call, may we, Christians and Jains, nurture, first of all, thoughts, words and gestures of peace in our own respective homes and secondly, joining hands with others, so as to promote families as the seedbeds of peace to build a humanity at peace.

Wishing you all A HAPPY MAHAVIR JAYANTI!

Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
President

Rev. Fr. Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ
Secretary