Hindu Gifts Flaming OM to Pope; “Our Dialogue Should Continue, Says Pope

ROME, APR. 22, 2008, 09.20 Hrs (SAR News):

Dr. Ravi Gupta, a professor of Hinduism at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia (USA), and a priest of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), presented a gift of an elaborate OM symbol to Pope Benedict XVI at an interfaith gathering in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Hindu American community April 17, reports ISKCON News, April 19.

The interfaith meeting where Dr. Gupta met the Pope was organised by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and was held at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington. Approximately one hundred and fifty interfaith leaders attended the session, including representatives from the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions.

“It was a great honour to meet His Holiness Pope Benedict on behalf of the Hindu community in America,” said Dr. Gupta. “I was impressed by the intimacy of the gathering, and the Pope’s genuine interest in meeting with us. It was my feeling that the Pope -- as both a holy man and a scholar -- wished he had more time to spend with his guests, and to be able to know us all better,” Gupta said.

Peace Our Hope-An Interreligious Gathering

The meeting entitled "Peace Our Hope-An Inter-religious Gathering with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI" concluded a diverse and event-filled day for the pontiff, including his celebrating Mass in the local sports stadium with 45,000 faithful and Washington elite.

Dr. Gupta, 26, whose devotional name is Radhika Raman Dasa, was one of five young representatives of religious traditions who were invited to greet the Pope and offer him a gift from their respective traditions. Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON's Minister of Communications and a Governing Body Commissioner (GBC), also attended the private event on behalf of the Hare Krishna society.

After brief welcoming remarks, the Pope spoke for twenty minutes on the importance of interfaith dialogue and cooperation. He quoted former President Franklin Roosevelt who said, "No greater thing could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of faith."

The Pope invited the group to bear "witness to those moral truths which they hold in common with all men and women of goodwill" and thus, as religious people "exert a positive influence on the wider culture."

Pope says: Our Dialogue Should Continue

"I greeted the Pope with our traditional Hare Krishna greeting," reported Gupta. "Then I said, 'Your Holiness, you are well aware of the richness within Hinduism, including a strong tradition of monotheism and religious tolerance. I hope these can be a foundation for a strong and continued dialogue with the [Catholic] Church."

The Pope responded positively, "Yes, our dialogue should continue to grow," accepted the OM symbol, and held Dr. Gupta’s hand warmly before the next representative came forward.

"It was a historical occasion," said Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON GBC Member. "The tensions on the world stage call for religious leaders to understand each other better and to teach their respective congregations to not only respect, but to learn from one another.

The Pope, while careful to not minimize his own tradition's values and faith commitments, opened the door wider for increased cooperation with the Church."
Both Gupta and Dasa are also in Washington this week to attend the 11th Annual Vaishnava-Christian dialogue, which coincided with the Pope's visit.