Dear Friends,

The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue sends cordial greetings of good wishes on the occasion of the five hundred and fifty-fifth anniversary of the birth of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, to be celebrated on 15 November this year. May your festivities be filled with serenity, joy and peace, and strengthen fraternity in your neighbourhoods and communities!

All too often, in various parts of the world, people experience a lack of hope due to violence, wars and many forms of poverty. Moreover, many young people feel that their dreams for a decent life and brighter future are unattainable on account of corruption, nepotism, and unemployment. There is also a crisis of hope among those concerned about the degradation of moral values. At the same time, even those working for peace question whether their efforts can be effective. Overall, it is not uncommon to see a sense of cynicism, resignation and defeatism growing within society. It is in this context that we wish to share with you some thoughts on how both Sikhs and Christians can sow seeds of hope, with courage, conviction and commitment, and together reap a harvest of peace.

According to Pope Francis, peace is “a journey of hope in the face of obstacles and trial” (Message for the Celebration of the 53rd World Day of Peace, 1 January 2020, 1). Peace, as history testifies, is only possible when men and women of good will courageously persevere in overcoming the challenges of hatred and division by turning them into opportunities for healing and reconciliation. Every achievement of peace is the fruit of the seeds of hope sown by individuals through their efforts and commitment. In this way, hope can spread, take root and become the driving force for building a world of fraternity and concord. We cannot afford to succumb to the contemporary temptation to resignation and defeatism. Instead, let us ardently desire to sow seeds of hope in every possible way and thereby show that peace is possible, and that we can only harvest it together.

Hope is a firm foundation for a brighter future. It is “the desire and expectation of good things to come” (Pope Francis, Spes Non Confundit – Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, 9 May 2024, 1). Hope spurs us on, with determination, patience and perseverance, to seek the good for ourselves and for future generations. Hope is also a divine grace, which gives the opportunity for human beings to cooperate with God’s loving plan for creation. Hope is the field on which peace can always bear fruit, and the virtue that holds us in unshakeable trust that God, who made us and sustains us, will never abandon us in our desire to gather a harvest of peace.

How great, then, is the need that all of us become men and women who cultivate hope through good works. As persons of hope, and through actions that favour life, love and harmony in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we will be able to revive and rebuild hope even among those who experience helplessness and hopelessness. As individuals and communities, we are all called upon to contribute, in small and large ways and according to our particular state of life, to sowing seeds of hope everywhere, so as to gather a harvest of peace together.

In a particular way, families are “nurseries of hope.” Parents, then, have a pre-eminent role of educating their children in the noble virtue of hope, despite the challenges and obstacles to peace. Religious leaders and believers likewise have an important responsibility for promoting a culture that aims to nurture hope and foster peace, while remaining anchored in the teachings of their respective religions. Furthermore, there is no doubt that both education and the media have a vital role in sowing seeds of hope, not only for a better future, but for a more peaceful and fraternal world for the sake of our entire human family.

As believers, we are “pilgrims of hope”, steadfast in our own religious traditions and with a shared commitment to strengthening the wellbeing of humanity. Let us, Christians and Sikhs, join hands with the people of other religious traditions and with all people of good will, in order to promote unity, harmony and prosperity for all, and to encourage everyone to become “a sower of seeds of hope and peace” (Pope Francis, Message for the 61st World Day of Prayer for Vocations, 21 April, 2024).

We wish you once again a happy feast of Guru Nanak Prakash Diwas!

Miguel Ángel Cardinal Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ

Prefect 

Rev. Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku Janakaratne Kankanamalage

Secretary

Vatican City

 

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