PANAJI
Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão has extended warm Diwali greetings.
"On the occasion Diwali “ I gladly send to our Hindu brethren warm greetings and wishes for a truly joyful Festival, in my name and on behalf of the Catholic community of Goa."
"As this Festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil, of truth over falsehood and of light over darkness, it is my sincere wish and prayer that we, the people of this beautiful land, coming from various religious and cultural backgrounds, may come together to ease the sufferings of people around us, bring prosperity to all and protect the uniqueness of this beautiful land."
"I am glad to also convey that His Holiness Pope Francis, through his Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, extends his most cordial greetings to all Hindus on the occasion of Diwali."
The Archbishop quoted Pope Francis: “May the observance of this feast even in the midst of anxiety and uncertainty arising from the present pandemic, and its resultant worldwide crises, light up your lives, homes and communities with the hope for a better future! …… As believers grounded in our own respective religious traditions and as persons with shared vision for and shared responsibility towards humanity, in particular the suffering humanity, may we Christians and Hindus, individually and collectively, and joining hands with people of other religious traditions and of goodwill, reach out to people who are in despair, to bring light into their lives!”
