Christians and Buddhists: Loving, defending and promoting human life

Christians and Buddhists: Loving, defending and 

promoting human life

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Fr. Miguel Angel 

Ayuso Guixot M.C.C.I., respectively president and 

secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious 

Dialogue, signed the message that, on the occasion 

of the feast of Vesakh, that dicastery annually sends 

to the followers of Buddhism.

Vesakh is a major Buddhist holy day that 

commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death 

of Gautama Buddha. According to tradition, the 

historical Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment 

and passed away during the full moon of the month

 of May, thus Vesakh is a mobile feast, which this 

year falls on 24 or 25 May, depending on the country

 it is celebrated in. On those days, Buddhists visit 

local temples to offer the monks food and to hear the 

teachings of the Buddha, taking special care to 

meditate and to observe the eight precepts of 

Buddhism.

This year's message is entitled: “Christians and 

Buddhists: Loving, Defending, and Promoting 

Human Life”. Following is the letter in its entirety.

“On behalf of the Pontifical Council for 

Interreligious Dialogue, I would like to extend my 

heartfelt greetings and good wishes to all of you, as 

you celebrate the feast of Vesakh which offers us 

Christians an occasion to renew our friendly 

dialogue and close collaboration with the different 

traditions that you represent.”

“Pope Francis, at the very beginning of his ministry, 

has reaffirmed the necessity of dialogue of 

friendship among followers of different religions. 

He noted that: 'The Church is […] conscious of the 

responsibility which all of us have for our world, for 

the whole of creation, which we must love and 

protect. There is much that we can do to benefit the 

poor, the needy, and those who suffer, and to favour 

justice, promote reconciliation, and build peace' 

('Audience with Representatives of the Churches and 

Ecclesial Communities and of the Different 

Religions', 20 March 2013). The Message of the 

World Day of Peace in 2013 entitled 'Blessed are the 

Peacemakers', notes that: 'The path to the 

attainment of the common good and to peace is 

above all that of respect for human life in all its 

many aspects, beginning with its conception, 

through its development and up to its natural end. 

True peacemakers, then, are those who love, defend,

 and promote human life in all its dimensions— 

personal, communitarian, and transcendent. Life in 

its fullness is the height of peace. Anyone who loves 

peace cannot tolerate attacks and crimes against life'

 ('Message for the World Day of Peace'in 2013, n. 4).”

“I wish to voice that the Catholic Church has sincere 

respect for your noble religious tradition. 

Frequently we note a consonance with values 

expressed also in your religious books: respect for 

life, contemplation, silence, simplicity (cf. 'Verbum 

Domini', no. 119). Our genuine fraternal dialogue 

needs to foster what we Buddhists and Christians 

have in common especially a shared profound 

reverence for life.”

“Dear Buddhist friends, your first precept teaches 

you to abstain from destroying the life of any 

sentient being and it thus prohibits killing oneself 

and others. The cornerstone of your ethics lies in 

loving kindness to all beings. We Christians believe 

that the core of Jesus’ moral teaching is twofold; 

love of God and love of neighbour. Jesus says: 'As the 

Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in 

my love'. And again: 'This is my commandment, that 

you love one another as I have loved you' 

('Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1823). The 

fifth Christian Commandment, 'You shall not kill' 

harmonizes so well with your first precept. 'Nostra 

Aetate' teaches that: 'the Catholic Church rejects 

nothing of what is true and holy in these religions' 

(NA 2). I think, therefore, that it is urgent for both 

Buddhists and Christians on the basis of the genuine 

patrimony of our religious traditions to create a 

climate of peace to love, defend, and promote 

human life.”

“As we all know, in spite of these noble teachings on 

the sanctity of human life, evil in different forms 

contributes to the dehumanization of the person by 

mitigating the sense of humanity in individuals and 

communities. This tragic situation calls upon us, 

Buddhists and Christians, to join hands to unmask 

the threats to human life and to awaken the ethical 

consciousness of our respective followers to 

generate a spiritual and moral rebirth of individuals 

and societies in order to be true peacemakers who 

love, defend and promote human life in all its 

dimensions.”

“Dear Buddhist friends, let us continue to 

collaborate with a renewed compassion and 

fraternity to alleviate the suffering of the human 

family by fostering the sacredness of human life. It is 

in this spirit that I wish you once again a peaceful 

and joyful feast of Vesakh.”