TORONTO, CANADA, April 6, 2005: Under Pope John Paul II, the Roman Catholic Church has used poverty as “a tool for proselytizing,” an interfaith 360 Vision panel discussion heard this evening. Hindu and Sikh panelists argued in the broadcast on CNW TV channel that the Church has focused on aiding the destitute of Asia and Africa because it seeks to win converts in those parts of the world. At the same time, the institution pays little attention to poverty in Latin America because that continent is already predominantly Catholic. “Historically, once people have been converted they are neglected,” said panelist T. Sher Singh, trustee of the Sikh Foundation International. The hour-long panel discussion offered a forthright and often highly critical assessment of John Paul’s interfaith legacy from the perspectives of various religions. Leaders from the Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu communities reflected on the complex nature of the Pope’s relationships with other faith groups. Panelists praised the Pope for his efforts to build bridges with people of different faiths, but expressed disappointment at his failure to go beyond symbolic gestures and establish real ecumenical dialogue.
“He opened a door in saying that people of faith have something to say to each other,” said Rachel Turkiniecz, professor of Jewish Studies at York University. At the same time, he was dismissive of non-Abrahamic faiths, and outraged many by calling for the conversion of Asia. Dr. Budhendra Doobay, a Hindu priest, noted that nearly 20% of the world’s population is Hindu or Sikh. Yet John Paul made no overtures to those religions when he visited India. Singh, for his part, suggested that the kind of proselytizing condoned during his papacy should be made a “universal crime.”
Ted Schmidt, editor of the Catholic New Times, said the pontiff was a man of compassion who reached out to all religions, but who nevertheless insisted that “the fullness of truth” resides in the Catholic faith alone.
360 Vision, hosted by Noelle Richardson, is the only national current affairs show devoted to exploring the role spirituality plays in the lives of Canadians. VisionTV is Canada’s multi-faith and multicultural broadcaster, dedicated to programming that celebrates diversity and promotes understanding and tolerance among people of different faiths and cultures.
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