A breakfast dialogue meeting with Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle commenced the 2016 celebration of the World Interfaith Harmony Week. This was held at the Arzobispado de Manila on February 1st. The event was attended by diplomats, religious leaders and members of Uniharmony Partners Manila.
Elder Ian S. Ardern and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
Elder Ian S. Ardern, Philippines Area President of the Church; Elder Raul Villanueva, Area Seventy; and Haidi Fajardo, Public Affairs Department, attended and represented the Church in the meeting.
Cardinal Tagle delivered his address on the significance of the Interfaith Harmony Week with this year’s theme “Love, Mercy, and Compassion as Wellsprings of Peace and Hope.”
“If we want peace, there should be love, mercy and justice and, most importantly we act upon these things. We can do this by developing friendship through small gestures of kindness such as a smile, a hug, a wave,” he further added. He hopes to strengthen friendships with other faiths and promote the importance of interfaith relations.
Fr. Carlos Reyes, Haidi Fajardo, Cardinal Tagle, Elder Villanueva and Fr. Babao
Rev. Fr. Carlos Reyes, the executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) opened the program with his message on the need to spread the message of peace and harmony among cultures, given that the Philippines is rich with diverse cultures and faiths.
The meeting was favored with musical presentations from the Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple Choir and five young international singers from the Pacific Dialogue Foundation, Inc.
The intimate atmosphere of the event gave time for faith leaders to interact, renew friendships and discuss topics of mutual concern.
Uniharmony Partners Manila, the organizer of the World Interfaith Harmony Week Celebration, aims to spread the message of interfaith harmony, dialogue and cooperation as key elements toward nation building
Elder Ardern echoes the words of Church President Thomas S. Monson when he said, “I would encourage members of the Church wherever they may be to show kindness and respect for all people everywhere. The world in which we live is filled with diversity. We can and should demonstrate respect toward those whose beliefs differ from ours.” (April 2008 General Conference address). Latter-day Saints accept all sincere believers as equals in the pursuit of faith and in the great work of serving humanity.