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NEWS AND VIEWS
Buddhists and Christians: Praying for Peace in the World
Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue
Dear Buddhist Friends: 1. As the new presidem of the Pontifical
Council for lnterreligious Dialogue, the
office of His Holiness the Pope for relations with people of
different religious tradi-tions, l wish to greet you and send this
congratulatory message on the occasion of the feast of Vesakh. This
gesture of friendship, initiated in 1995 by my predecessor Cardinal
Francis Arinze, has almost become a tradition. l wish to continue
this good tradition and express my hearty congratulations to each
and every one of you.
2. ln this message, l would like to invite you, my dear Buddhist
friends, to join in prayer for the cause of peace in the world.
Observing the current international sit-uation, we cannot but be
aware of the acuteness of the question of peace in our world. Since
the beginning of this new millennium, marked by the dramatic events
of Sep-tember 11, 2001, we witness every day fresh scenes of
bloodshed, violence, confron-tation, and crisis in almost ali parts
of the world. ln the midst of this grave situation, we cannot lead
our lives without committing ourselves to advancing the cause of
peace in the world.
3. We Christians and Buddhists are convinced that the origin of
ali conflict is ultimately located in human hearts characterized by
selfish desire, specifically by desire for power, domination, and
wealth, often at the expense of others. lt is also our common
conviction that peace must inhabit people's hearts before it can
become a social reality. For us, therefore, the most fundamental
and efficient way to advance peace is to do our best to see that
the deep-rooted selfishness of human hearts is overcome, so that
people may be transformed into true artisans of peace.
4. Pope John Paul II has proclaimed the year from October 2002
to October 2003 the Year of the Rosary of the Virgin Mary. He has
earnestly encouraged the frequent recitation of the Rosary in order
to pray for peace in the world. His wish to revive the practice of
the Rosary is closely connected with the presem historical
circumstances, which need more than ever-constant supplication for
the great gifi: of peace.
5. My Buddhist friends, is it not a wonderful coincidence that
you also have a lengthy tradition of using the Mala for prayer? The
Rosary for Catholics and the
Buddhist-Christian Studies 23 (2003). by Michael L. Fitzgerald.
Reprinted by permission.
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148 NEWS AND VIEWS
Mala for Buddhists are simple yet profound and meaningful
prayer, despite essential differences in their form and content,
based on our distinct doctrines and practices. For Catholics, the
Rosary represents a most effective means of fostering
contempla-tion of Jesus Christ. For Buddhists, the Mala is used to
overcome the 108 Sinful Desires in order to reach the state of
Nirvana. By virtue of their meditative charac-ter, these two
prayers have in common a calming effect on those who pray them;
they lead them to experience and to work for peace, and they
produce fruits of !ove. For Catholics, the repetition and
meditation of the holy names of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity
and the Virgin Mary in the recitation of the Rosary makes us more
willing to assimilate their !ove and compassion for others,
especially for the poor and affiicted. ln your Buddhist tradition,
praying the Mala helps one to become a peace-maker.
6. Dear Buddhist friends, these are the thoughts I wish to share
with you this year. I am convinced that by persevering in prayer we
will contribute to advancing peace in the world both now and in the
future. May this peace be with you and your fam-ilies on the feast
of Vesakh and at ali times.
Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald, President
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Article Contentsp. [147]p. 148
Issue Table of ContentsBuddhist-Christian Studies, Vol. 23,
2003Front Matter [pp. i - 195]Editorial [pp. iii - iv]Buddhist and
Christian Views of Community[Introduction] [p. 1]Some Reflections
about Community and Survival [pp. 3 - 19]Re-Creating Christian
Community: A Response to Rita M. Gross [pp. 21 - 32]
Dual Belonging/Personal Journeys[Introduction] [p. 33]Seeking
Emancipation through Engagement: One Nichiren Buddhist's Approach
to Practice [pp. 35 - 37]Wishing I Were Here: Postcards from My
Religious Journey [pp. 39 - 41]Double Religious Belonging: Aspects
and Questions [pp. 43 - 49]Buddhist? Christian? Both? Neither? [pp.
51 - 53]Penetrating the Big Pattern [pp. 55 - 59]Retracing Buddhist
Encounters [pp. 61 - 66]Double Religious Belonging: A Process
Approach [pp. 67 - 76][Double Religious Belonging: A Process
Approach]: Responses [pp. 77 - 83]
Essays[Introduction] [p. 85]"Soul-Less" Christianity and the
Buddhist Empirical Self: Buddhist-Christian Convergence? [pp. 87 -
100]Persons and Awareness [pp. 101 - 116]Conscience, Citizenship,
and Global Responsibilities [pp. 117 - 131]
News and ViewsThe 2002 Meeting of the Society for
Buddhist-Christian Studies [pp. 135 - 137]Japan Society for
Buddhist-Christian Studies [p. 139]The Seventh International
Buddhist-Christian Conference in Los Angeles, California [pp. 141 -
142]Catholic and Buddhist Monastics Focus on Suffering [pp. 143 -
145]Buddhists and Christians: Praying for Peace in the World [pp.
147 - 148]
Book Reviewsuntitled [pp. 151 - 155]untitled [pp. 155 -
158]untitled [pp. 159 - 161]untitled [pp. 161 - 164]untitled [pp.
165 - 167]untitled [pp. 167 - 170]untitled [pp. 170 - 174]untitled
[pp. 174 - 178]untitled [pp. 178 - 181]untitled [pp. 181 -
183]untitled [pp. 183 - 186]untitled [pp. 187 - 189]untitled [pp.
189 - 193]
Frederick J. Streng Book Award [pp. 197 - 201]Back Matter