The Vatican's message of Ramadan this year

This year's well-wishing Ramadan message from the Vatican has been issued by Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, the new perfect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue in the Holy See. He was born in India in 1973. In addition to his post of overseeing the organization of the Pontiff's travels, he serves as perfect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, which was established in 1964 following the radical changes that the Catholic Church underwent during the Second Vatican Council, that opened new horizons for official dialogue between the Church and followers of religions, as elucidated by the pioneering document "Nostra Aetate" (In Our Time) which marks its 60th anniversary.

The message issued in various languages, marked with the Hijri year 1446 alongside the Gregorian year 2025, is titled: "Christians and Muslims: What We Hope to Become Together." It is issued during the Year of Hope endorsed by Pope Francis--may God heal him-- at the start of this year marking the 2025^th anniversary of the birth of Lord Jesus Christ as it refers to the Jubilee's theme. We are all pilgrims in this land and we all seek a better life." How wonderful it is that this year is marked as a year of harmony between Muslims and Christians, and among Christians themselves who follow different denominations. We can say that 57 per cent of the world's population is fasting during this very period.

The Vatican's message considers Ramadan not merely as a month of fasting, but rather as a "school of inner transformation" for Muslims. By abstaining from food and drink, Muslims learn to control their desires and focus on essential matters. It is also a "time of spiritual discipline" and "an invitation to cultivate piety, the virtue that brings one closer to God and opens the heart to others." Then the message refers to Lent in Christianity which invites us to follow a similar path, namely "through fasting, prayer and almsgiving we seek to purify our hearts and refocus on the One who guides and directs our lives. These spiritual practices, though expressed differently, remind us that faith is not merely about outward expressions, but a path of inner conversion."

What do we hope to jointly fulfill this year?

The message provides a response saying, “We want, then, to become, together, brothers and sisters in humanity who deeply esteem one another. Our trust in God is a treasure that unites us, far beyond our differences. It reminds us that we are all spiritual, incarnate, beloved creatures, called to live in dignity and mutual respect. What is more, we desire to become guardians of this sacred dignity by rejecting all forms of violence, discrimination and exclusion.”

What is striking about this new covenant of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue is the rejection of the term "coexistence" among people. We, Muslims and Christians do not want merely to coexist; we want to live together in sincere and mutual appreciation. The values ​​we share such as justice, compassion, as well as respect for creation in our deeds and relationships must inspire us and serve as a compass through which we become builders of bridges rather than walls.

May this message reach our schools and universities, so as to set the basis for true dialogue and realize that the proximity of fasting this year between Muslims and Christians invites us to strengthen inter-human relations based on mutual acceptance and respect, in the spirit of human brotherhood, and in the common homeland, with the spirit of good citizenship as well as equality in rights and duties.

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