Updated on May 22, 11:21 AM: Added the celebration of the 19th United Nations Day of Vesak in Thailand
The Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue has encouraged Christians and Buddhists to foster peace, reconciliation, and resilience amid global conflicts.
In his message to Buddhists on the commemoration of Vesak, Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot said the teachings from both traditions are crucial to addressing conflicts worldwide and healing humanity’s wounds.
The plate quoted Pope St. Paul VI’s call, “Never again war, never again war,” adding that there is a need for lasting peace by confronting the causes of conflict and ensuring fairness in political, economic, and cultural spheres.
Reflecting on reconciliation, he cited Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s words that “forgiving and being reconciled are not about pretending that things are other than they are. True reconciliation exposes the awfulness, the abuse, the pain, the degradation, the truth.”
Cardinal Ayuso emphasized that healing occurs when forgiveness is sought, and broken relationships are restored, helping individuals and communities recover from adversity.
Both Christian and Buddhist teachings emphasize reconciliation, Cardinal Ayuso noted. He mentioned Buddha’s teaching that “hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. It is appeased only by loving-kindness,” and referred to Saint Paul’s call to Christians to embrace the “ministry of reconciliation.”
He also invoked Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a peace advocate and survivor of the Cambodian genocide, and Pope Francis, who believes that “reparation and reconciliation will give us new life and set us all free from fear.”
“All of us are called to rediscover and treasure these values found within our respective traditions, to make better known the spiritual figures who embodied them, and to walk together for the sake of peace,” he said.
19th United Nations Day of Vesak
This year, the Thai government and the Sangha Supreme Council collaborated in organizing the 19th United Nations Day of Vesak on May 19 and 20.
The celebration was one of the country’s activities to honor King Maha Vajiralongkorn, a devout Buddhist who firmly upholds Buddhist principles, on his 72nd birthday.
The celebration of the Day of Vesak, or Visakha Bucha in Thailand, drew Buddhist leaders, scholars, and monks from 73 countries to participate in the celebrations and offer their best wishes to His Majesty.
It commenced at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, a renowned public Buddhist university located in the Wang Noi district of Ayutthaya province.
The program featured goodwill messages from Sangharajas, Mahanayakas, and Buddhist leaders worldwide, alongside three-panel discussions.
These panels explored topics such as the “Application of Buddhist Mindfulness for Health and Wellbeing,” “Buddhist Path to Trust and Global Partnership,” and the “Relevance of Buddhist Education for Harmonious Society.”
On May 20, activities shifted to the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok. This segment of the event included addresses from the United Nations Secretary-General and the announcement of the 2024 Bangkok Declaration.
The celebration coincided with the full moon day of the sixth lunar month, known as “Vesak” or “Visakha Puja,” the holiest day of the year for Buddhists worldwide.
Vesak commemorates the birth of the Buddha, his attainment of enlightenment, and his passing away—remarkable in that all three events occurred on the same day, albeit in different years.
