Taoists and Christians to hold dialogue event in Hong Kong

By Vatican News

Christians and Taoists are set to meet in Hong Kong next week to continue the dialogue between the two religious traditions.

According to a press release from the Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, the event will take place at the Yuen Yuen Institute, Lo Wai, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, on 11-13 March.

The Third Christian-Taoist Dialogue was organized by the Dicastery, in cooperation with the Diocese of Hong Kong and the Taoist Association of Hong Kong.

The three-day event will focus on the theme: “Cultivating a Harmonious Society through Interreligious Dialogue”.

Participants include scholars and adherents of the two religious traditions hailing from Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China, France, Italy, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Singapore, along with local civil authorities.

“In seeking to contribute to the building of a harmonious society,” read the press release, “the participants will reflect on the following themes: ‘Christian and Taoist Scriptural Foundations for Cultivating a Harmonious Society’, ‘Cultivating Harmony Through Worship and Liturgy’, ‘Tao/the Way and De/Virtue in Dialogue and Practice’, ‘Holiness in Taoism and Christianity’, and ‘Transmitting Religious Beliefs and Values in a Globalized World’.”

The colloquium seeks to provide Taoists and Christians an opportunity to deepen their mutual understanding, while exploring how “disharmony generates pain and suffering” and working together to “heal our fragmented world.”