Unity Prayer for Peace at conclusion of Understanding World Religions Course

March 8 (Kuala Lumpur) - "A common theme which we can find present in all the major world religions is that of a commitment to fostering peace and respect," said Fr. Clarence Devadass, Parish Priest of the Church of Fatima, Brickfields, at the conclusion of the 7 weeks programme entitled 'Understanding World Religions.' This programme provided a basic introduction of the teachings, practices and worship found in the major religions practiced in Malaysia. Each week, religious experts from the various religions spoke on their respective religious tradition, namely, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and the Baha'i Faith.

The last day of programme ended with a Unity Prayer for peace led by various religious leaders. Each representative spoke about the need for respect, tolerance and the need for dialogue and collaboration in working for peace and unity. After a short introduction by each prayer leader, the participants were given the first hand experience of listening and being present to the various forms of prayers, which either took the form of a chant, a recitation from scriptures, hymns and supplications.

In his concluding remarks after having thanked the organisers, the Archdiocesan Ministry of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (AMEIA) and the parish committee, he reminded the participants that "a fundamental Truth which we all must grasp is that God is not the sole possession of anyone." He then cautioned that intolerance and competition among religionists often takes place in a context where God is deemed to be the sole proprietary right of a particular religion to the exclusion of others.

At the beginning of the event, Fr. Michael Chua, the Ecclesiastical Assistant of the AMEIA explained the significance and purpose of this day of prayer for peace. He explained that prayer can only be understood in an analogous way in a multi-religious setting. "What Christians and other theocentric religions refer to as prayer may not necessarily be the case in homocentric religions such as Buddhism or Confucianism." Nevertheless, prayer or its analogous form brings the religious encounter from one which is purely cognitive and theoretical to the level of practice and the spiritual.

After having introduced the four forms of dialogue, Fr. Chua then explains that this "dialogue of religious experience" reaches deeper into the personal experiences of sharing prayer, contemplation, ways of searching for the Absolute and faith. It is that dialogue which "can be a mutual enrichment and fruitful cooperation for promoting and preserving the highest values and spiritual ideals" ("Dialogue and Mission," No.35).

At the conclusion of the unity prayer, the participants affirmed their commitment to work for peace by reciting the Decalogue of Assisi for Peace. The Decalogue was the product of the First Day of Prayer for World Peace at Assisi in 2002.