Christmas invites to love and give up hate and indifference: Mangalore Bishop

Mangaluru: The Bishop of Mangalore Diocese Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha in his Christmas message said that the festival of Christmas invites everyone to love and give up hate and indifference.

“During the joyful events in our families, we say to our loved ones: I love you. What does it mean? It means, I want you to live. Since the whole of humanity is our family, how many people can we say: I want you to live?” asked Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore during the Christmas celebration with media and journalists held on December 23, at Bishop’s House.

The bishop said, “Today, the greatest tragedy is that the culture of indifference is growing. It is worse than hate. If we love someone, that person has a place in our heart and if we hate the person, he will be in our mind. But if we foster indifference, that person does not exist for us. We do not care whether he is alive or dead. This is the danger we are in, for many promote division, violence, and death.”

He said that Jesus teaches us by example to care and share, to give and forgive the enemies, and never to hate anyone. Hatred and indifference will burn us before it burns others. It destroys our conscience. It destroys the goodness within us. “We become ‘dead people walking’, a kind of zombies,” the bishop said.

Bishop further said that the name “Jesus”, means “God saves”. Jesus saves us from our sins and death. He saves us from hatred and violence. He promotes universal love and fraternity. We are fortunate that we live after his arrival.

Swachch Bharat to Swachch Mind and Heart

Bishop Peter Paul said, “These days, we are talking about “Go green” for creating a Swachch Bharat. Can we foster a Swachch mind and pure heart without hatred and indifference? Let this Christmas be for us, a challenge to foster a pure heart so that we see God in our neighbor and in nature. Let the people experience great joy in our presence.”

(Press release)