Hindus urge new Catholic Copts Patriarch to promote interfaith dialogue

19 January, 2013

Congratulating Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, 57, on his election as the new Patriarch of Alexandria of the Catholic Copts, Hindus hope that he would promote interfaith dialogue in the world.

The January 12-16 Cairo (Egypt) gathering of Coptic Catholic Bishops Synod reportedly received a letter of resignation from Patriarch Cardinal Antonios Naguib for health reasons and elected Sidrak as Naguib’s successor, who then received the Ecclesiastical Communio from His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.

Coptic Catholic Patriarchate, headquartered in Cairo with patriarchal cathedral in Nasr City (Egypt), has communities spread in Australia, Europe, North America and Asia.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed urged new Patriarch Sidrak to pioneer interfaith dialogue working together with various world religions and denominations on issues facing the humanity, as serious and honest interfaith dialogue was the need of the hour. This dialogue might also help us vanquish the prejudices, caricatures, etc., passed on to us from previous generations, Zed added.

“Religion is a complex component of human life. Dialogue helps us to see interconnections and interdependencies between religions and even similarities in doctrines,” said Zed. Religions should at least work together on common religious concerns like peace-making and peace-keeping, social and economic development, freedom and human rights, Zed stressed.