YANGON, Myanmar — Christians and Buddhists are called by faith to
overcome evil with goodness and violence with peace, Pope Francis said during a
meeting with leaders of Myanmar's Buddhist community.
Quoting St. Francis of Assisi and Buddha, the pope insisted that
in a land where the powerfully bonded pairing of religion and ethnicity have
been used to prolong conflict, it was time for religious leaders to reclaim the
greatest values and virtues of their faith traditions.
Pope Francis met Nov. 29 with members of the State Sangha Maha
Nayaka Committee, a government-appointed group of senior Buddhist monks who
oversee some 500,000 monks and novices in Myanmar, where close to 90 percent of
the population follows Buddhism.
One of the strongest anti-Muslim and anti-Rohingya currents of
Myanmar society is led by Buddhist nationalists.
The meeting was hosted by the Buddhists at the Kaba Aye Pagoda
and Center.
As is customary, Pope Francis took off his shoes before entering
the hall and walked in his black socks to his place. The Buddhist committee
members sat directly opposite Pope Francis and members of his entourage across
a plush, bright blue rug.
The challenge of the Buddhist monks and of the Catholic clergy,
the pope said, is to help their people see that patience, tolerance and respect
for life are values essential to every relationship, whether with people of the
same family or ethnic group or with fellow residents of a nation.
The approach, he said, is common to both faiths.
Pope Francis quoted Buddha: "Overcome the angry by
non-anger; overcome the wicked by goodness; overcome the miser by generosity;
overcome the liar by truth."
And then he pointed out how the "Prayer of St. Francis"
has a similar teaching: "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where
there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, let me bring pardon.
... Where there is darkness, let me bring light, and where there is sadness,
joy."
"May that wisdom continue to inspire every effort to foster
patience and understanding and to heal the wounds of conflict that, through the
years, have divided people of different cultures, ethnicities and religious
convictions," he said.
The pope did use the word "Rohingya," whom the Myanmar
government does not recognize as a separate ethnic group, but he insisted the
meeting was an occasion "to affirm a commitment to peace, respect for
human dignity and justice for every man and woman."
Faith, he said, not only should lead adherents to an experience
of "the transcendent," but also should help them see "their
interconnectedness with all people."
Bhaddanta Kumarabhivamsa, president of the committee, told the
pope Buddhists believe all religions can, "in some way," bring peace
and prosperity, otherwise they would cease to exist.
Religious leaders, he said, "must denounce any kind of
expression that incites (people) to hatred, false propaganda, conflict and war
with religious pretexts and condemn strongly those who support such
activity."
Pope Francis ended his day with the Catholic bishops of Myanmar,
urging them to "foster unity, charity and healing in the life of this
nation."
As he had earlier in the trip, the pope again defined as an
example of "ideological colonization" the idea that differences are a
threat to peaceful coexistence.
"The unity we share and celebrate is born of diversity,"
he said. Unity in the church and in a nation "values people's differences
as a source of mutual enrichment and growth. It invites people to come together
in a culture of encounter and solidarity."
As Myanmar continues its transition to democratic rule and tries
to deal with the challenges of development and full equality for all its ethnic
groups, Pope Francis told the bishops to make sure their voices are heard,
"particularly by insisting on respect for the dignity and rights of all,
especially the poorest and most vulnerable."