Vatican urges Hindus and Christians to unite for peace

VATICAN CITY (Indian Catholic News) ­—The Vatican has called on Hindus and Christians to draw on their shared values and spiritual traditions to promote peace amid wars, conflicts and the use of religion for political ends.

In its 2026 message for the Hindu festival of Diwali, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue urged the two religious communities to pray together for peace, nurture universal fraternity and strengthen interreligious dialogue, inspired by the 40th anniversary of a historic gathering of religious leaders in Assisi, Italy.

The message, titled “Hindus and Christians: forging pathways of peace together in ‘the spirit of Assisi,’” was issued ahead of Diwali or Deepavali, the major Hindu festival of lights that takes place each October or November on dates set by the lunar calendar.

The message was signed by Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad and Msgr. Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage, respectively prefect and secretary of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

“The commemoration of the 1986 Assisi gathering offers us the opportunity to reflect with you on how Hindus and Christians can forge pathways of peace together, drawing inspiration from the spirit of Assisi,” the message said.

This year, millions of people in various countries will celebrate Diwali on Nov. 8, although local observance may vary by a day.

Fiji, Guyana, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago all observe Diwali as a public holiday.

Remembering the spirit of Assisi

Forty years ago, on Oct. 27, 1986, representatives of the world’s religions gathered in Assisi at the invitation of Pope John Paul II to pray for peace.

The meeting, held in the birthplace and resting place of St. Francis of Assisi, became a historic encounter that brought together people of different religions, convinced that “religions and interreligious solidarity can help address global crises and promote peace.”

Pope John Paul II called this the “spirit of Assisi,” which the dicastery said has inspired countless peace initiatives throughout the world over the years.

Prayer and fraternity as pathways to peace

The Vatican message identified shared prayer as one way Hindus and Christians can work together, while remaining faithful to their respective religious traditions.

“One such pathway is to come together to pray with a shared spiritual commitment to peace, each according to his or her own religious tradition, while respecting that of the other,” it said.

“Indeed, genuine prayer overcomes differences and disarms hearts, minds and lives,” the message added, saying prayer can transform people into “men and women of compassion and peace.”

Another pathway is to nurture universal fraternity, following the example of St. Francis, who treated everyone as omnes fratres, or “brothers and sisters all.”

“Fraternity enables us to recognize the face of God in others and to stand in solidarity with them, especially the poor and the weak,” the message said.

“The more fraternity flourishes among us, the more peace will take root in our world.”

Interreligious dialogue a vital necessity

The dicastery described interreligious dialogue as central to the spirit of Assisi and its potential to advance global peace.

“Today, such dialogue is a ‘vital necessity,’” the message said, citing Pope Benedict XVI. It also quoted Pope Leo XIV, who said dialogue plays “a decisive role, because at the heart of the great spiritual paths lies a message of peace.”

The message stressed that authentic religions promote peace and reject violence, recalling the words of Pope Benedict XVI that violence “is the antithesis of religion and contributes to its destruction.”

It urged Hindus and Christians to draw renewed inspiration from the Assisi anniversary by praying for peace, practising fraternity in daily life and actively engaging in dialogue with people of other religions and all those committed to peace.

“As persons grounded in our respective religions, and as people with shared values, may we, Hindus and Christians, draw renewed inspiration from the fortieth anniversary of the Assisi gathering,” it said.

The message concluded by wishing Hindus and their families and communities “a Happy Deepavali!”

CBCI urges local outreach

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) that made public the letter in India has asked those involved in its dialogue ministry to circulate the Vatican’s 2026 Diwali message among Hindu religious leaders and members of Hindu traditions.

In a letter addressed to its dialogue partners, Father Anthoniraj Thumma, national secretary of the CBCI Office for Dialogue and Desk for Ecumenism, requested them to have the message translated into local languages and share it with Hindu communities.

The letter also encouraged dialogue partners to personally hand over the message to religious leaders while extending greetings. “If possible you can hand it over to them greeting them in person,” Father Thumma wrote.

Celebrating Diwali’s triumph

Diwali, the annual festival of lights dating to the Vedic period about 2,000 B.C., celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and life over death.

To celebrate, Hindus exchange gifts and sweets, set off fireworks to drive away evil spirits, and illuminate homes with oil lamps and electric bulbs.

The festival resonates with Catholics, who also use light and candle-lighting in sacraments like baptism, first Communion and Easter.

Each year, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue sends official greetings to Hindus for Diwali, as it does for major Muslim and Buddhist holidays. Instituted by Pope Paul VI in 1964, the dicastery fosters interfaith dialogue in accordance with the Vatican II declaration Nostra Aetate.

Read the message.