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Nowadays the names of three faith communities in the United States
often appear together: Jews, Christians and Muslims. Today, I am
taking this occasion to send greetings to a fourth religious
population among us--our Buddhists neighbors. Along our coasts and in
many cities throughout our country, there are cultural centers,
places of worship, and monastic and retreat houses, many of which
were established by American Buddhists. With some of these,
representatives of Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools, and monastic
communities have formed relationships of cordiality and cooperation.
I am taking the occasion at the beginning of this Spring, when two
important feasts occur--Easter and Vesakh-- to lift up these
relationships and to send greetings to our Buddhist friends and
neighbors.
Vesakh is an eminent Buddhist feast honoring the life of Gautama
Buddha. Buddhists teach that he is the one who taught liberating
insight and the attainment of nirvana in our world 2500 years ago.
Though having somewhat different emphases in the Theravada and
Mahayana traditions, Vesakh is celebrated by both traditions of
Buddhists in the United States and thus provides an occasion to send
special greetings. Vesakh this year occurs on April 8 or May 21,
depending on the tradition.
Since 1995, the Holy See through the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue has issued greetings to Buddhists worldwide
on the occasion of Vesakh, and I am forwarding the 1997 greetings
with my own good wishes and encouragements to Buddhists in the United
States. In his Vesakh message this year, Cardinal Francis Arinze,
President of the Pontifical Council, speaks of a joint pilgrimage of
peace following along the paths of forgiveness and justice in our two
great traditions.
When Pope John Paul II visited Sri Lanka in January 1995, he
addressed the people of that country citing two esteemed Theravada
texts:
In particular I express my highest regard for the followers of Buddhism, the majority religion in Sri Lanka, with its ...four great values of ...loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity; with its ten transcendental virtues and the joys of the Sangha [monastic community] expressed so beautifully in the Theragathas. I ardently hope that my visit will serve to strengthen the goodwill between us, and that it will reassure everyone of the Catholic Church's desire for interreligious dialogue and cooperation in building a more just and fraternal world. To everyone I extend the hand of friendship, recalling the splendid words of the Dhammapada: "Better than a thousand useless words is one singe word that gives peace..."
His visit occurred a few months after publication of Crossing
the Threshold of Hope, and in chapter 14 of that book the pope
had written expressly about the Buddha. Seven months later, Cardinal
Francis Arinze noted the comments and reactions exchanged over what
the pope had written and acknowledged that misunderstandings often
occur between Christians and Buddhists. His speech was given at a
formal dialogue in Taiwan, where Catholics and Buddhists shared views
on the human condition and the need for liberation, ultimate reality
and the experience of nirvana, Buddha and Christ, and personal
detachment and social commitment. I urge my Catholic brothers and
sisters to study the final statement of that dialogue (published
among other places in Origins, Catholic News Service
Documentary Service, Vol. 25, No. 14, September 21, 1995) and to
share it with their Buddhist friends for mutual reflection and
dialogue.
We in the United States have our special relations to lift up too.
For many years a formal dialogue has taken place between the
Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Buddhist Sangha Council of
Southern California. Several other dioceses have benefitted from
various forms of cooperation and exchanges, especially Honolulu where
Buddhists constitute the second largest religious community, but also
Chicago, San Francisco and St. Louis, to name a few. Last summer the
fruits of over two decades of spiritual exchanges between Buddhist
and Catholic monastics were visible in the extraordinary "Gethsemani
Encounter," where, under the sponsorship of Monastic Interreligious
Dialogue, 25 Buddhist and Catholic participants and observers many
times that number met at Gethsemani Abbey, Kentucky, to live together
for six days, pray, and exchange views on monastic life and
spirituality. I am very pleased that the Episcopal Moderator for
Interreligious Relations, Bishop Joseph Gerry, participated fully in
that event dialoguing with Theravada, Zen, and Tibetan practitioners,
including the Dalai Lama.
The respect of the Catholic Church regarding what is true, holy, and
good in Buddhist teachings and practice and the commitment of the
Catholic Church to sincere dialogue rest upon the firm ground of the
Second Vatican Council's teachings and documents and over 30 years of
witness to these teachings. There have been times when this
commitment of respect and these teachings may seem to have been
forgotten. If, at times, comments of Catholics, including comments
reported perhaps inaccurately or with exaggeration by the media, have
offended American Buddhists, I am sorry. Such times can be occasions
for forgiveness and deeper friendship and opportunities for further
exploration of our teachings. As the Chairman of the Bishops'
Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, I reiterate the
commitment to good relations and dialogue for the National Conference
of Catholic Bishops. Once while I was in Thailand, I was blessed to
have witnessed an ordination of Buddhist monks which was for me a
spritually moving experience. With these heartfelt greetings and good
wishes, I encourage Catholics and Buddhists to maintain contact in
various ways possible for the benefits of mutual understanding and
respect, growth in our faiths and spiritual practices, and for the
sake of all in need of justice and compassion.
Most Rev. Alex J. Brunett
Bishop of Helena
Chairman, Bishops' Committee for
Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
Cardinal Arinze's greetings