On 28 October 2025, we mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, ‘In Our Time’, the declaration of the Second Vatican Council that encouraged Catholics around the world to engage in dialogue and collaboration with people of other religious traditions. It is still considered a foundational text for this important dialogue.
Throughout the year, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue releases messages of fraternal greeting to the followers of the world’s major religions on their major feast days. The Hindu feast of Deepavali falls on 20 October this year – eight days before Nostra Aetate‘s diamond jubilee.
Titled ‘Hindus and Christians: Building world peace through dialogue and collaboration in the spirit of Nostra Aetate‘, the Vatican message reflects on six decades of the historic declaration and how it has made a significant contribution to world peace.
“In today’s world, where mistrust, polarisation, tensions and divisions are on the rise, interreligious dialogue is more necessary than ever,” writes the prefect of the Dicastery, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad. “It must continue to sow seeds of unity and harmony, becoming a beacon of hope for all. Interreligious understanding and collaboration must find a place in our daily lives and become a natural way of living together. Pope Leo XIV has called upon all people to ‘build bridges through dialogue and encounter, joining together as one people’.”
Bishop Patrick McKinney, Lead Bishop for Interreligious Dialogue for the Bishops’ Conference, commended the message. He said:
“Given the sad and divided state of much of our world at present, I very much welcome this Vatican message for the Hindu Feast of Deepavali with its emphasis on building peace through dialogue and collaboration. This same month, on Sunday 26 October at St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham, Catholics here in England and Wales will be celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the declaration of the Second Vatican Council. This was a call to reject prejudice and embrace the universal dignity of every human being. It very much promoted respect for all religions and it has inspired the Catholic Church to seek to foster better understanding and good relationships between the religions in the search for truth, justice and lasting peace.
“Over the past 60 years, interreligious dialogue between Catholics and Hindus has shown itself to be a powerful means of building bridges between us so as to be able to stand together against extremism, cultural polarisation and conflicts in our society and wider world. This is an opportune time both to celebrate the past 60 years of warm and peaceful relationships between Catholics and Hindus here in England and Wales, and also to renew afresh our commitment to interreligious dialogue. May the light of peace and the beacon of hope always overcome all division and darkness.”
The Vatican message concludes by addressing Hindus and Christians specifically:
“As believers rooted in our respective faith traditions, and as people united by shared values and a common concern for peace, may we – Hindus and Christians, together with those of other religions and all people of goodwill – join hands in both small and great ways to nurture peace in our homes, communities and societies.
“May we strive to build world peace by fostering ‘a culture of dialogue as the path; mutual cooperation as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard’ (Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, 4 February 2019).”
You can download the Vatican message in Hindi and English.
