|
Third US Sikh-Catholic Dialogue Retreat
WSN Bureau
Representatives of the World Sikh Council – America Region (WSC-AR)
and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) met May 29-31,
2009 at St. Therese’s Retreat Center in Columbus, Ohio for a
three-day Sikh-Catholic bilateral national interreligious retreat.
The objective of the retreat was for
the Sikh and Catholic communities to further deepen dialogue and
trust among the two communities. The theme was “The Nature of God:
Convergences, Divergences, and Our Spiritual Paths.”
The Sikh and Catholic delegations
were comprised of about 8 representatives from each community with
about one third of the participants being young adults (age 35 and
younger).
The Catholic delegation was headed by
Rev. Canon Francis Tiso, Associate Director of USCCB’s Secretariat
for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. The Sikh delegation was
led by Dr. Tarunjit Singh, Chair of the Interfaith Committee of
WSC-AR.
The retreat began on Friday, May 29, with a presentation on the
Catholic belief in God by Rev. Francis Tiso and Father Philip Simo.
The next day, Mr. Kuldeep Singh, founding former Chairperson of
WSC-AR, shared an overview of the concept of God in the Sikh faith.
This was followed by presentation by young adults Mr. Neil Sloan
(Catholic) and Mr. Savraj Singh (Sikh) on how each faith honors God
in everyday life. Sikhs and Catholics prayed together from their
faiths during the retreat. The Interfaith Association of Central
Ohio hosted a mutifaith dinner on Saturday evening in honor of the
Sikh-Catholic bilateral dialogue. On Sunday morning, the Sikh and
Catholic young adults led in a shared worship service.
“Sikhs believe that God cannot be
divided into more than one,” he said. “But as Catholics do, we too
believe God is everywhere, in everything, without beginning or end,
is merciful and forgiving, so we have all this in common” said Mr.
Kuldeep Singh.
“We found that both of our faith traditions have a similar sort of
caution talking about God – the idea that words can’t fully express
his nature, that ‘God is greater than … .’ This is one thing the
discussion brought out in a number of insightful moments. “We are
both monotheistic religions, sharing that in common with the Muslim
and Jewish traditions, Sikhs and Catholics both believe in the
transcendence and the eternal nature of God,” said Rev. Francis
Tiso.
“We have formed bonds of friendship
and of respect for each other and for the words and traditions that
have great meaning to both of our faiths, and this is at the beating
heart of this dialogue,” said Dr. Tarunjit Singh.
The Sikh-Catholic interreligious
dialogue began in May 2006 with a meeting hosted by Religions for
Peace – USA at the Church Center for the UN in New York city. This
was followed by a retreat in October 2006 in Huntington, NY on the
theme “Divinity, Humanity, and Creation.” The second retreat was
held in September 2007 on the theme of “Honoring Holiness In and Out
of Our Faiths.” In April of 2008, WSC-AR representatives declined to
attend an interreligious meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in
Washington, DC because the US Secret Service refused to accommodate
the Sikh religious requirement of wearing the Kirpaan.
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB) is an assembly of the Catholic Church hierarchy of the
United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who jointly exercise
certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of
the United States. The purpose of the Conference is to promote the
greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially through
forms and programs of the apostolate fittingly adapted to the
circumstances of time and place. This purpose is drawn from the
universal law of the Church and applies to the episcopal conferences
which are established all over the world for the same purpose.
The World Sikh Council – America
Region (WSC-AR) is a representative and elected body of Sikh
Gurdwaras and institutions in the United States. Its members include
45 Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) and other Sikh institutions
across the nation. WSC-AR works to /promote Sikh interests at the
national and international level focusing on issues of advocacy,
/education, and well-being of humankind.
10
June 2009
|
Read Also