By Christopher Khoo
SINGAPORE — Cardinal William Goh, Archbishop of Singapore, has wished all Hindus in Singapore a “happy and blessed Deepavali”.
May your celebrations be filled with “dancing, music, and festive joy”, said Cardinal Goh, referring to the theme of the Deepavali street light-up at the Little India area in Singapore’s Serangoon Road. The annual light-up at the area, popular among Indians in Singapore as well as foreigners from South Asia, took place this year on Sept 6.
In his message to Hindus celebrating their Festival of Lights on Oct 20, Cardinal Goh highlighted certain similarities between Hinduism and Catholicism.
He noted that the Hindu chant, “Asato ma sadgamaya, Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya, Mrityorma amritam gamaya”, translated as “lead me from falsehood to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality”, echoes the refrain of a popular Catholic hymn based on Psalm 23: “Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.”
“Indeed, Catholics worldwide celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope this year, with the theme Pilgrims of Hope, reflecting our belief that life is a pilgrimage towards our true home in heaven where, after our earthly struggle with temptation and suffering, we will find eternal rest with God,” wrote Cardinal Goh.
“The lights in Little India, your homes, and your places of worship, remind us of our Christian hope in Jesus, the Light of the World, the one of whom Scripture says: ‘You have turned my mourning into dancing, you have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,’ (Psalm 30:11),” said Cardinal Goh.
He added that the Deepavali festivities are an “effective gesture” of fraternity, “uniting all Singaporeans in celebrating the rich diversity and vibrancy of our multi-cultural society.”
“Thank you for sharing the gift of Deepavali with us – the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore rejoices with you,” he wrote.
The message was signed by Cardinal Goh and Monsignor Peter Zhang, Vicar-General (Interreligious and Ecumenical Relations).
(Christopher Khoo is a Singapore-based freelance journalist and educator)
