The pope met with 18 of Thailand's religious leaders at “Chulalongkorn University,” the most important university in the country.
He greeted each of them one by one.
The president of the university gave him a gift, then spoke to him on behalf of all those at the meeting.
BUNDIT EUR-ARPORN
President of Chulalongkorn University
“We are gathered here to learn and benefit from Your Holiness’ wisdom, compassion for the poor and disadvantaged peoples all over the world.”
Then, students of different religions sang a song together.
In his speech, the pope recalled that dialogue between representatives of different religions always yields positive results.
He offered the meeting between Pope Leo XIII and the king of Thailand in 1897 as an example. This was the first time a non-Christian head of state was received at the Vatican.
POPE FRANCIS
“May the memory of that significant encounter, as well as that of his reign, whose virtues included the abolition of slavery, challenge us, in our own time, to pursue the path of dialogue and mutual understanding.”
The pope said that both religion and universities have their own characteristics, and both have much to contribute when teaching how to resolve differences.
POPE FRANCIS
“Now is the time to be bold and envision the logic of encounter and mutual dialogue as the path, common cooperation as the code of conduct, and reciprocal knowledge as a method and standard. In this way, we can provide a new paradigm for resolving conflicts and help foster greater understanding and the protection of creation.”
Before leaving, the pope took a group photo with the participants, and said goodbye to each person one by one.
