by Nirmala Carvalho on Asia News
The cardinal wrote to the representatives of other religions in the country, as well as to his fellow bishops, inviting them to take part in a Day of prayer, fasting and works of charity. For Ram Puniyani, a well-known activist and president of the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, the “call for a World Day of Prayer can be an occasion to commit ourselves to rational thinking in eradicating the pandemic.”
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), spoke to AsiaNews about the letter he wrote to representatives of the other religions of India, as well as to his fellow bishops, inviting them to take part tomorrow in a Day of Prayer, fasting and works of charity promoted by the High Committee for Human Fraternity.
In his letter, the prelate writes that “all of us are children of God, brothers and sisters of one big family” are called to “come together and pray for God to spare us from the pandemic as our only hope is that God Almighty will save us, and help scientists and researchers find the eagerly-awaited cure.”
"I also wrote a personal letter to my brother Maulana Mamood Madani, general secretary of Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind,” the cardinal told AsiaNews. In it, he writes that “Ramadan fasting helps everyone spend time reconnecting with God in prayer, strengthening feelings of love for the needy through the practice of Zakat, and increases solidarity with the suffering and marginalised.”
Mentioning Pope Francis' visit to Abu Dhabi, Card Gracias goes on to say that “when the Pope signed the historic document On Human Fraternity together with the Great Imam of Al Azhar” Ahmad al-Tayyeb,” it “gave us much to ponder” for it “publicly committed all Muslims and all Christians to adopt a culture of dialogue as a path, mutual co-operation as a code of conduct and reciprocal understanding as the method and standard.”
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