In our times, when many are questioning whether “we are on the verge of World War III”, we, Catholic and Taoist practitioners and scholars held the 3rd Christian-Taoist Colloquium from 11-13 March 2024, in Hong Kong under the theme: Cultivating a Harmonious Society through Interreligious Dialogue. Our gathering conveys a powerful message to our polarized world today that through respectful and constructive dialogue, we can extinguish the fires of conflicts and violence and light a candle of peace and harmony. We are convinced that more than ever, we need to continue our talking, walking, and working together and so we concurred on the following:
- Encounter: Our dialogue helped us to encounter the sacred mystery of each other through our knowledge about our respective religious classics, rituals, ethics, saints, and sages etc. Each of our religion, in its own manner, seeks to counter the restlessness of human heart. Therefore, before the inexpressible mystery, we need to be open-minded and humble by expanding our mind and hearts.
- Awaken: Our respective religious patrimony can prove meaningful if we can awaken the spiritual energy in our followers to contribute to cultivate a harmonious society. For that to happen, we must recover compassion, simplicity, solidarity, and generosity.
- Collaborate: Through charitable and educational activities, we can collaborate to build bridges, break down walls and sow the seeds of love, respect, and hope.
We express our gratitude to the organizers [Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, Hong Kong Taoist Association, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong] for facilitating this historic encounter. We thank the members of Hong Kong Taoist Association and the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong for the generous hospitality. Stimulated by this dialogue, let us continue to foster a harmonious society wherever we are.
