Buddhists,
Catholics call for closer cooperation on shared values
(Vatican
Radio) Buddhist and Catholic leaders from the United States have concluded a
meeting in Rome calling for closer cooperation on key environmental and social
justice initiatives. A joint statement at the end of the meeting, which was
held from June 23rd to 27th on the theme of ‘Suffering, Liberation and
Fraternity”, said the dialogue “strengthened mutual understanding” about these
issues and “deepened relationships as a basis for interreligious cooperation
based on shared values”.
Below
please find the full statement from the conclusion of the Buddhist-Catholic
encounter:
The
Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in collaboration with the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue convened a Buddhist Catholic
Dialogue on "Suffering, Liberation, and Fraternity" in Rome, Italy from
June 23 to 27, 2015.
45
Buddhists and Catholics involved in interreligious dialogue and/or social
action in the United States attended from New York , Chicago, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, and Washington, DC. The Archdioceses of these five cities supported
the dialogue. Among the Catholic participants were representatives from
Catholic Charities, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Focolare Movement,
Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, and the Catholic Association for Diocesan
Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers. Buddhist participants from the Unites
States included leaders representing the Sri Lankan, Thai, Cambodian,
Vietnamese, Tibetan, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese traditions.
The
dialogue strengthened mutual understanding concerning human suffering and means
of liberation, as well as deepened relationships as a basis for
interreligious cooperation based on shared values. The objective of
this "dialogue of fraternity," as it is called by Pope Francis, is to
create new and practical forms of collaboration reaching out to those in need
in the cities of the participants in the United States of America.
After
this dialogue, the participants agreed to return together to their cities
to explore the following kinds of joint interreligious social action
initiatives:
•
Addressing global climate change on the local level
•
Creating outreach program for youth in the cities
•
Collaborating in prison/jail ministries and restorative justice matters
•
Developing resources for the homeless such as affordable housing
•
Educating and providing resources to address the issue of immigration
•
Collaborating to create projects with local Catholic parishes and Buddhist
communities to address neighborhood social issues
•
Developing social outreach programs for value education to families
•
Witnessing our shared commitment as brothers and sisters, our religious
values and spiritual practices, and
our social collaboration with our religious communities
and others in our cities.
Signed
by:
Cardinal
Jean-Louis Tauran, President, Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
Most
Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski, Bishop of Springfield, Chair, Bishops' Committee
for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
Acharya
Fleet Maull, Shambhala Meditation Center
Rev.
Ronald Kobata, Buddhist Church of San Francisco
Ven.
M. Dhammasiri, Washington Buddhist Vihara
Dr.
Sovan Tun, Cambodian Buddhist Society
Ven.
Chao Chu, Los Angeles Buddhist Union
Ven.
Thich Tu-Luc, Compassion Meditation Center
Ven.
Phramaha Thanat Inthisan, Wat Thai of Washington, DC
Ven.
Chung Ohun Lee, Won Buddhist Temple
