Pope Addressed by Baha'is in India

Address given by Counsellor Zena Sorabjee to the inter-religious gathering in New Delhi in the presence of Pope John Paul II on 7 November 1999



"Your Holiness Pope John Paul II, your Eminences the Cardinals and Archbishops, honourable speakers and guests. I stand here today to represent the Baha'i community of India at this august and distinguished gathering in the gracious presence of His Holiness, the spiritual head of millions of Catholics spread in all parts of the globe, who is a much loved and revered leader amongst the nations of the world.

"The Baha'is would like to offer our sincere and respectful felicitations to His Holiness for having undertaken this long and arduous journey to uplift the spirit of the numerous Catholics, the followers of Jesus Christ in this country.

"As His Holiness mentioned yesterday, the largest number of religions coexist in India where the Constitution upholds the right of every individual to believe in and practise the religion of his free choice. Mention was also made of the need for unity in diversity and respect to be accorded to all religions. The Baha'is of the world, followers of Baha'u'llah, strongly support every step which is directed towards upholding the unity of religions. It is an article of our Faith that there is but one religion, and the Source of that religion is the Creator, God. Different religions are but progressive chapters in that book of religion. Baha'u'llah states, "That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity amongst men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmly established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated." He also wrote: "The religion of God and the creed of God hath been revealed and made manifest from the heaven of the will of the king of pre-existence for the sake of union and harmony among the people of the world; make it not a means for disagreement and discord." "...from a fair-minded examination of the actual utterances of the Founders of the great religions, and of the social milieus in which they were obliged to carry out their missions, there is nothing to support the contentions and prejudices deranging the religious communities of mankind and therefore of all human affairs."

"In order to confirm the belief that we are all "the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch", created by the one Creator, and in order to assist in the progressive eradication of all forms of prejudice, disharmony and conflict, the Baha'i House of Worship, the most visited spot in Delhi, has been dedicated to all the peoples, irrespective of religious background. We would also like to offer our sincere congratulations and gratitude to His Holiness for having consented to be present at this platform where representatives of different religious communities can come together to appreciate the futility of stressing upon differences and the need to emphasize the commonalities which can lead to a harmonious world.

"The Baha'is would like to assure His Holiness of our prayers for a long life, good health and a safe journey home."