Sree Narayana Guru dedicated his life to humanity: Pope Francis

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis said that Sree Narayana Guru is a spiritual teacher and social reformer who dedicated his life to social and religious renaissance to end the discrimination faced by humanity. Sree Narayana Guru's messages are very relevant in today's World where intolerance and hatred are on the rise among people and nations. The Pope was delivering a sermon at the all-religion conference held at the Vatican under the auspices of the Sivagiri Mutt and at the Parliament of the World's Religions.

"Guru's message was that all human beings, irrespective of caste, creed or cultural differences, are members of a single human family. Sree Narayana Guru insisted that no discrimination should be made against anyone. Unfortunately, discrimination, rejection, conflict and violence in the name of race, caste, colour, language and religion are daily experiences today. The victims are innocent individuals and communities who do not have power or voice."

"I am happy to welcome the believers of various religions who have come from Kerala, India and other parts of the world to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first all-religion conference organized by Sree Narayana Guru. Welcome to the revered Sivagiri Mutt Swamis, followers of Sree Narayana Guru and other friends. The first all-religion conference was a milestone in the history of religious debates in India and Asia. It is a prayerful confluence of diverse religious communities here, which is a sacred haven for religious debates. The theme of this conference is "All-religion integration for mankind". This is a matter of great importance today," the Pope said.

Disagreements should be respected; be an apostle of peace

"God has created all human beings by giving them equal rights, duties, and dignity to live as one-sided brothers," the Pope said. We must love and respect one another as children of the same God. Diversity and disagreements must be respected in the spirit of fraternity. We have to support each other. The earth, which is the abode, must be protected. The reason for the disturbances in the world is that sacred religious philosophies are not followed in life. Human brotherhood must be fostered on the basis of those visions. There should be unity in diversity as well. Even in differences, we have to co-exist with amity. We have to be an apostle of peace even in the face of challenges," the Pope said.

After the speech, the Pope spent an hour and a half with the swamis of the Sivagiri Mutt. It was a rich audience consisting of Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Jewish representatives, monks, priests, intellectuals, women and children. The Pope shook hands and interacted with everyone. He also took pictures. The delegates presented gifts to the Pope.