The archbishop of Kolkata, Reverend Thomas D’Souza, on Wednesday said Christmas was about “being compassionate to the other... and respecting the other with his or her uniqueness”.
The head of the Catholic church in the city was quoting from one of the many messages that he had received this Christmas. This one, he said, “summarises” and “stands for Christmas”.
“Jesus is born in me when I become honest and transparent... when I become compassionate to the other... when I respect the other with his or her uniqueness, when I accept and appreciate diversity and gender equality, when I listen to others views and perspectives...” the archbishop said.
At the annual Christmas get-together at Archbishop’s House, Reverend D’Souza was addressing an audience from different communities — there were Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Sikhs and Christians.
Reverend D’Souza said there could be “different situations in family and in society” but there is one mission: “Of making our society a better place where everyone can live in freedom, peace and joy. And for that we need one another.”
The archbishop hoped that the pandemic had been able to teach the world one lesson: that one “cannot live independently of each other”.
He went on to say that at every level, “political, social, educational, religious”, the same principle was at work.
“All of us need one another. We must join hands and work together for a common purpose and that is to build a human society... where the values of equality, respect, freedom, joy and acceptance of one another flourish.”
“We are all brothers, sisters. We must live together. We form the society, unity in diversity... the message we give whenever there is an occasion and today is one such occasion when we have come together. We are interdependent and we are brothers and sisters,” Reverend D’Souza said.
What the archbishop said from the podium was echoed by many who were off-stage.
Father Jeyaraj Veluswamy, rector, St Xavier’s College, next door from the Archbishop’s House, spoke of India’s “muti-culturality, multi-religiosity”.
“We are taught to think differently and also embrace the difference,” he said, adding: “Look at our locality: we are multi-cultural. Come to our institution, offices we are multi-religious.... We live that reality which should not be undermined or tarnished by any system. Multi-religiosity and multi-culturality is to be celebrated.”
The archbishop talked about a forum, the United Interfaith Foundation, that has representatives from all religions and works to enhance dialogue between the leaders of the various communities. “We have one mission: We must have peace,” he said.
Imran Zaki, a key member of the foundation, said: “Humara mazhab insaniyat hai (Our religion is humanity.”
“Service to humankind is service to God. Today (at the Christmas programme), we have people from all religions and faiths come together in a celebration of humanity.”
The vicar general of the archdiocese of Kolkata, Father Dominic Gomes, said the tradition of the Christmas get-together started in 2011.
“The birth of Jesus Christ, a universal festival of love, peace, hope, joy and thanksgiving, reaches out to one and all with its message of light and hope,” he said.
