One of the ways that Christians can show respect for people of other faiths is to acknowledge their major feast days. This gesture does not mean that we agree with everything that religion teaches, but it shows that we respect the sincerity of the believers and the truths and values they hold in common with us. For many years, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue (DID) has been sending such greetings to Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Muslims, and Sikhs on their major feast days. At the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations, we share those greetings with the individuals and leaders of the communities to whom they are addressed.
For example, this year we e-mailed, sent via Australia Post, posted on social media, and handed out hard copies of the DID Message for Ramadan, reaching hundreds and hundreds of Muslims. We also posted our Centre’s greetings on social media. To make it more personal, we also made a video message. We expressed our solidarity with Muslims during Ramadan, in fasting and prayer, and we joined them in the joy of Eid al-Fitr, the feast which marks the end of the month of fasting.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban Interfaith eBulletin.
