Two important initiatives to encounter East Asian religious tradition and thought see the Taiwan-Hong Kong Interreligious Dialogue Dicastros engaged in these days.
An international seminar entitled “Christians promoting dialogue with Confucians: guidelines and perspectives” was held March 8 and 9 in New Taipei, Taiwan. The initiative-promoted in collaboration with the Department of Religious Studies at Fu Jen Catholic University-is part of a track that aims to formulate official guidelines for Catholics engaging in dialogue with followers of Confucianism.
Already last January 15, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue had convened an online study group, animated by Prof. Umberto Bresciani, an Italian for more than 50 years in Taiwan who has been pursuing this reflection at Fu Jen Catholic University for some time. That first discussion was attended by scholars and practitioners of interreligious dialogue who live or have roots, in addition to Taiwan, in the People’s Republic of China, In Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia, Italy and the United States.
Msgr. Indunil Kodithwakuu Kankanamalage, secretary of the dicastery, opening that meeting had explained that this study group is part of a tradition carried on by the Vatican body, which has already developed guidelines for dialogue with Buddhists, Hindus and traditional Asian religions. Now,” he had added, “a new need has emerged to develop an official dialogue with Confucians. “And as we work to build on the ‘seed’ that has been planted,” he had concluded, “let us always keep in mind that ‘God is the One who makes it grow.
The meeting held these days in New Taipei was a significant step forward in this journey, involving a wider audience interested in promoting Confucian-Christian dialogue.
The drafting of the guidelines,” the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue explains in a statement, “will be followed by a final review process and is expected to serve as a valuable resource for individuals, organizations and communities both inside and outside the Catholic Church seeking to engage in dialogue with followers of Confucianism.

A great pioneer of Islamic-Christian dialogue who still inspires the path of the Church in India today. Thus in Delhi the figure of Fr. was remembered in recent days. Victor Curtois, a Belgian Jesuit who explored Islamic identity in depth in Calcutta in the mid-20th century.
The occasion to celebrate him in recent days was the seventh edition of the Victor Courtois Memorial Lecture organized by the Association of Islamic Studies in Delhi. This year’s conference was held on February 25th with the intervention of prof. Michael Calabria, Franciscan friar minor, who spoke on the topic: “From Morocco to the Mughal Empire: Franciscan meetings with Muslims and their meaning for today’s interreligious dialogue”.
The Islamologist Fr. Victor Courtois, who died in Kolkata in 1960 at the age of 53, is considered an apostle of Islamic-Christian dialogue in Calcutta. His brother Fr. Victor Edwin, secretary of the Association for Islamic Studies based in New Delhi, explained to AsiaNews: “Fr. Courtois spent much of his life in India and played a fundamental role in transforming relations between Christians and Muslims in this country.
He inaugurated an era of relationships and respect”. The Belgian missionary taught that Christians and Muslims are brothers, since God is the Father of all men. “Fr. Courtois – added Fr. Edwin – he encouraged Christians and Muslims not to hesitate in bearing witness to each other’s faith.”

Religious Sisters from different institutes have joined forces to offer a new opportunity to hundreds of youths in difficult situations in Bengaluru (Bangalore), in the Indian state of Karnataka, with particular focus on the future of girls and their rights.
The Sisters Led Youth Initiatives (SLDY) programme began some months ago, which Sr Nirmalini, Superior General of the Congregation of the Apostolic Carmel and President of the Conference of Women Religious of India (CRWI), has decided to share with AsiaNews on International Women’s Day.
“By 2025, we envisage to empower 1,200 youths in the Bengaluru region, bringing changes to their families by improving their living conditions,” Sr Nirmalini explained.
The activity promoted by CRWI brings together the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters), the congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC), the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (SMMI), the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ (PHJC), and the Sisters of St Joseph of Tarbes (SJT).
“The Synodal journey invites us to walk together,” Sister Nirmalini explained.

The leader of a Hindu group in north-eastern Assam state plans legal action against Church-run schools in the state after they ignored a deadline to remove Christian symbols from school premises.
Satya Ranjan Borah, who heads the Kutumba Surakshya Parishad (family safety council), told that his preparations are complete to file a case in the high court, the state’s top court.
“I have adequate documents to support my demand,” he told on March 7.
Borah’s council had set a 15-day deadline on Feb. 7 for all Christian schools to remove all Christian symbols such as crosses and statues from school premises and classrooms.
The Feb. 7 press meeting, addressed by 10 other right-wing outfits, also demanded priests and nuns to come to schools in civil dress rather than in their religious dress.
Borah publicly made these demands and warned of dire consequences in case of failure.
The government in the state is run by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I am not against Jesus Christ or Christianity. But my demand is to free missionary schools from religious symbols of all forms,” Borah told on March 7.
“We are against all forms of religious symbols in any school premises in the state,” he added.
“A missionary school is to educate children in a secular environment and therefore, there is no scope for installing statues of a religion or adopting a dress code associated with a religion by its staff and students,” Borah said.
Borah had written a letter to Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati to keep missionary schools free of Christian symbols. Reacting to the fresh threat, Archbishop Moolachira told that Borah ”is free to file a petition in the court like any other citizen of India.”
“We too have given complaints to the government,” the prelate said and dismissed the allegation that missionary schools were being used to promote Christianity.