Posted on 11/09/2004 10:21:27 AM PST by Land of the Irish
On October 4, 2004, the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, Mexico City’s National Cathedral hosted an “interfaith religious service,” a gathering of religious leaders representing, in addition to the Catholic Church, Anglican, Greek Orthodox, Presbyterian, Lutheran and Mormon denominations, as well as Mexico's Hindu and Sufi Islamic communities. According to the Catholic News Service, “The Dalai Lama joined Mexico City Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera and other Mexican religious leaders in prayers for world peace while calling for mutual understanding among the world's religions.”
Tenzing Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism and a true celebrity of the world stage, led a “prayer session for peace,” according to the Associated Press. During his talk to the 1,000 attendees of the event, the Dalai Lama urged people not to blame religion for the world’s conflicts, saying that wars are often motivated by “money, power and politics.” He also stated: “There are some that think there is a clash between the Western civilization and Islam. I think they are wrong.” Commenting that "some mischievous people manipulate religion," he added that "the whole world, due to communication, population and tourism, is something like one entity, one body."
The Dalai Lama’s address ran for 40 minutes and touched upon such topics as “the virtues of living a moral life to coping with getting older.” He received a standing ovation after the address, his second of the day; he also received one as he entered the cathedral. The AP reports that “as he was leaving, the Dalai Lama playfully tugged on the long beard of another religious leader on-stage and pretended to scurry off.”
During the interfaith ceremony in the National Cathedral, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera announced, “We have gathered here, the different religious denominations ... to perform a common prayer asking for world peace." While praising the Buddhist leader for his stand in favor of human rights, the Cardinal said, “You, Dalai Lama, have done honor to your title, which means 'ocean of wisdom’.” During his visit to Mexico City, the Tibetan leader gave daily addresses on spirituality to paying audiences, and gave a speech at the National Museum of Anthropology to mark the International Day of Tolerance.
Comment: Who would have thought that sacrilege in Catholic cathedrals would become regular events – Homosexual “Masses,” Hindu priests at the altar in Fatima, interfaith services at every turn, etc. And now we find the Dalai Lama leading prayers at Mexico City’s National Cathedral (like Fatima, another place associated with the Blessed Virgin).
What thoughts on religion were expressed by the Dalai Lama during his stay in Mexico City? During the “International Day of Religious Tolerance” (which originated after 1995’s “United Nations Year for Tolerance”), the Buddhist leader declared that "humanity needs religious diversity," because a single creed "cannot satisfy" the variety of human beings.
The man welcomed by Cardinal Carrera to the National Cathedral, the “ocean of wisdom” who led prayers in the Cathedral, does not believe that a single “creed” can “satisfy” humanity. This, of course, includes the Nicene Creed, which declares that “I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God ...On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.” For the Dalai Lama, Jesus Christ is simply not able to “satisfy” the needs of humanity. Cardinal Carrera needs to look closely at a Crucifix, or watch Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of The Christ,” and meditate awhile on the meaning of that Passion and the Person of the Redeemer.
And, speaking of Mexico, just what was the end result of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe? An interfaith gathering of Catholic and indigenous clerics? No, Mary’s appearances resulted in 9 million conversions to the Catholic Faith. The Cardinal may want to think about that, too.
Ping
Well, I guess I can be happy the Southern Baptist didn't join the group.
Buhdda: The fat little bastard is everywhere.
"Mary’s appearances resulted in 9 million conversions to the Catholic Faith."
Today, thanks to the pope's new ecumenical orientation "in the spirit of Assisi", we no longer talk about "conversion" but "convergence of religions".
Sign of the times ping!
THX
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.