Irish-British Province

FATIMA/PORTUGAL
Symposium on Christianity in India

A Symposium on Christianity in India, past and present (Cristianismo na India, percursos e proximidades) took place in Fatima (Portugal), from December 3-4, 2005.

More than 150 people took part in it with great interest, attending several conferences and panel discussions and participated in the Eucharistic celebration in honor of St. Francis Xavier.

All were touched by the graceful religious dances and several other cultural events. One of the main purposes of this Symposium was to provide an opportunity to know India, by opening windows on its vast variety of peoples, languages, cultures and religions. This aim was fully achieved thanks to the richness of its contents and to the appealing and lively style of the most of the presentations.

The Symposium also investigated today’s Theology of Mission, its methods, goals and challenges, at the beginning of the commemorations of the 500th birth anniversary of St. Francis Xavier.

We acknowledged with satisfaction that the Divine Word Missionaries, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Spirit, and missionaries in general continue to announce Jesus Christ in India, through the witnessing of their faith, the dialogue with members of other religious traditions and through the unselfish service to the needy and the poor.

The example of a healthy and harmonious collaboration among the different cultures and religions of India challenges us to promote, in our own society, ties of friendship, dialogue and solidarity with people and groups belonging to other religions and cultures.

Source: Arnoldus Nota