Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue - ACCIRD

𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡. Papa Francesco will be hitting our shores this September!!! 🥳

Go to https://www.catholic.sg/popefrancis2024/ for the full press release. For more information and updates, go to http://www.popefrancis2024.sg/

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,

On behalf of the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, we warmly wish you a joyous Hari Raya Eid al-Fitr. May your fasting, prayer, reflection, and other pious practices during Ramadan and the celebration of Eid al-Fitr that concludes it, bring you abundant fruits of peace, joy, and hope.

Our thoughts are with Gaza as we go through one of the most difficult and painful periods in human history. We cannot help but grieve that so many lives have been lost, and many more remain in danger.

We understand from the Quran that suffering can be a test and trial for some people. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer (22:42-45). When people go through tough times, good can come out of their suffering (2:155-156). Others can also learn from their example.

The Bible teaches something similar: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Jesus Christ shares our suffering, takes it upon himself, and transforms it with his resurrection. This is the Paschal Mystery. We can follow this path by uniting our suffering with Christ’s. Whether it means the end of our suffering or not, God in his loving providence is always for us, and never against us.

Read my full Hari Raya message: https://www.catholic.sg/hari-raya-message-2024/

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/hari-raya-puasa-april-10-celebrate-mufti-4250371

Singapore Muslims to celebrate Hari Raya Puasa on Apr 10: M***i SINGAPORE: Muslims in Singapore will celebrate Hari Raya Puasa on Wednesday (Apr 10), the M***i of Singapore said on Tuesday. The crescent moon for the Islamic month of Syawal appeared during sunset on Tuesday according to calculations, signifying that Hari Raya Puasa – also known as Hari Raya Aid...

https://www.catholic.sg/hari-raya-message-2024/

Hari Raya Message 2024 Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,We wish you God's abundant blessings as you celebrate the feast of Eid al-Fitr.During this fasting month of Ramadan our thoughts are with Gaza as we go through one of the most difficult and painful periods in human history. We cannot help but grieve that so many live...

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-03/catholic-confucian-dialogue-dicastery-future.html?fbclid=IwAR334Y3IVKXK_TWYgIWkLE-IwKyNNigaxkOpMtQO9cTu_QfSAAwX7RfUjMw

Catholics and Confucians have ‘so much to learn from each other’ - Vatican News As scholars gather in New Taipei City to discuss Catholic-Confucian dialogue, Fr. Paulin Batairwa Kubuya, Under-Secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for ...

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-03/cardinal-chow-christians-taoists-hong-kong-dialogue.html?fbclid=IwAR3b7YOcNyZNLuBpJBjjhcaXDt9g20YYsA-sK4_xkGU2CHa1KmP4j8Q5r7Y

Cardinal Chow: Taoists and Christians can join hands to build harmonious society - Vatican News As a conference on Christianity and Taoism gets underway in Hong Kong, Cardinal Stephen Chow and Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku discuss the importance of ...

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/ramadan-muslims-singapore-start-mar-12-4181011

Muslims in Singapore to mark start of Ramadan on Mar 12 SINGAPORE: Muslims in Singapore will mark the start of the holy month of Ramadan on Tuesday (Mar 12). The holy month begins with a sighting of the new moon based on the Islamic lunar calendar, after which religious authorities will declare the start of Ramadan. In announcing

https://www.flickr.com/photos/catholicsg/albums/72177720315187883?fbclid=IwAR34InoR_WFzsR3Hftdzy1USfWq0GAh3S-TVB0MxGt83QeySqbHWWve2054

The 15th Harmony Games 2024 on 2 March was principally organised by the Archdiocesan Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism Centre of Singapore (AIRDECS). It was held at Assumption English School. Youths from all over Singapore from diverse racial, religious, organisational and institutional backgrounds, together with some participants somewhat younger and older, had a fun and memorable day getting to know each other more through ice breaker games over breakfast, futsal, captain’s ball, e-sports mobile legends and puyo puyo and a cultural e-quiz, and a whole host of fringe activities like DartsLive, HADO, Nintendo Switch and Ringfit and VR goggles for visits to different places of worship. Sumptious meals were served to cater to the different dietary needs and requirements which also included live station satay and traditional pushcart ice cream.

15th Harmony Games @ Assumption English School - 02 Mar 2024 15th Harmony Games @ Assumption English School - 02 Mar 2024

https://catholicnews.sg/2024/01/10/to-live-as-one-in-fraternity/?fbclid=IwAR30zaEcUfbEQy3bcazlJWLQRCkuBiq1BAsnNlG9rKhzjniKW8gcmRfDCqo

“Let’s Talk”, the winning design of the 2021 DialogueSpaceSG Sculpture Design Competition, was unveiled to members of the Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue (ACCIRD), and the Catholic Architectural Guild (CAG) in January 2023 at the Singapore Management University (SMU) campus in Bras Basah.

The public competition was organised by ACCIRD in collaboration with CAG and SMU as part of the bicentenary of the Catholic Church in Singapore in 2021.

To live as one in fraternity Members of ACCIRD and CAG at the unveiling of the “Let’s Talk” sculpture at SMU in January 2023. Mr Lee Hon Chuan (in white) is standing next to his work. Photo: Victoria Lim. “Let’s Talk”, the winning design of the 2021 DialogueSpaceSG Sculpture Design Competition, was unveiled

Official Opening & Blessing of AIRDECS (Archdiocesan Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism Centre of Singapore) office - 03 Feb 2024.

Photos are available for viewing at the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/catholicsg/albums/72177720314532977

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-02/pope-francis-message-human-fraternity-zayed-award-abu-dhabi.html?fbclid=IwAR0eTSLx8FXqMt5xz9r9XWcsB7XV0xKb4YXK5SqXZJRb-SAoE4Y80MbrjpE

Pope: May human fraternity guide us beyond hatred and war - Vatican News Marking the 5th anniversary of the Document on Human Fraternity Pope Francis highlights how the absence of fraternal solidarity in today’s world ...

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-02/bishop-martinelli-thanks-god-pope-francis-abu-dhabi-visit-five.html

Bishop Martinelli recalls fifth anniversary of Pope Francis' Abu Dhabi visit - Vatican News Five years after Pope Francis' historic visit to Abu Dhabi marking the first-ever Apostolic Journey to the Arabian Peninsula, and the signing of the ...

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-01/holy-see-mission-celebrates-world-day-of-peace-in-geneva.html?fbclid=IwAR3xAGYB6ZxvG2Yl7SsxEq93pQlYBgIBTpy-41s9JZC4m06WxpamE7aIv-U

Holy See Mission celebrates World Day of Peace with prayer gathering in Geneva - Vatican News The Holy See’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva gathers members of the international community and ...

Building relations between the Church and Jewish communities - Vatican News Ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Viktor Eichner of the World Jewish Community highlights relations between the Catholic Church and Jewish ...

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/trust-between-communities-hard-earned-needs-constant-tending-lawrence-wong

Trust between communities hard-earned, needs constant tending: DPM Lawrence Wong One priority is to keep our society together, and Singapore strong and united, amid forces seeking to divide us: DPM Wong. Read more at straitstimes.com.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-01/pope-francis-meets-with-the-president-of-kazakhstan.html?fbclid=IwAR2d00SAy8VUzwes9YUs3so-X_Oy9OizRVHs8npzVZ4NayuR8xtYXsbKa2M

In particular, the Pope and President highlighted "mutual cooperation in the area of interreligious dialogue," and "hopes were expressed for an increasingly active role of believers in the life of the Nation in favour of the common good."

Pope Francis meets with President of Kazakhstan - Vatican News Pope Francis holds an audience with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, discussing the importance of "the urgent commitment to promote ...

This verse anchors this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, reflecting the intricate connection between our love of God and neighbour. It reminds us that the way to eternal life is not by mere observation of the commandments, but to imitate our love of Him in the giving of ourselves to another. This requires charity, mercy, justice and unity – of which we can exercise only through the grace of God.

Let us gather as one people of God to pray for visible Christian unity, united by our love for God in Christ and the experience of knowing God’s love for us!

There will be a time of prayer and reflection held at the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace tomorrow, 19th Jan at 8pm. All Christians are invited! Join us in experiencing the joy of prayer, fraternity and fellowship as one big Christian family! For more info, go to https://bit.ly/47LZqfm

Read more: https://bit.ly/47CtOZw

https://catholicnews.sg/2024/01/10/religious-leaders-experience-christmas-at-st-josephs-church/

Religious leaders experience Christmas at St Joseph’s Church The diverse religious fraternity in front of the high altar at the St Joseph’s Church (Victoria Street) on Dec 27, 2023, where the Christmas celebration on the theme of humility was held. Photos: SJCVS. Heartfelt smiles and joyful greetings were exchanged as Cardinal William Goh welcomed some

Joy to the World sung by the Sacred Heart Choir, St Joseph's Church (Victoria Street) and the Cathedral Choir of Saint Gregory the Great at the annual Archdiocesan Interreligious Christmas Celebration held at St Joseph's Church (Victoria Street) on December 27, 2023, organised by Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

JOY TO THE WORLD - Archdiocesan Interreligious Christmas Celebration 2023, St Joseph's Church Joy to the World sung by the Sacred Heart Choir, St Joseph's Church (Victoria Street) and the Cathedral Choir of Saint Gregory the Great at the annual Archdi...

O Come, All Ye Faithful sung by the Sacred Heart Choir, St Joseph's Church (Victoria Street) and the Cathedral Choir of Saint Gregory the Great at the annual Archdiocesan Interreligious Christmas Celebration held at St Joseph's Church (Victoria Street) on December 27, 2023, organised by Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL - Archdiocesan Interreligious Christmas Celebration, St Joseph's Church O Come, All Ye Faithful sung by the Sacred Heart Choir, St Joseph's Church (Victoria Street) and the Cathedral Choir of Saint Gregory the Great at the annual...

Annual Archdiocesan Interreligious Christmas Celebration hosted by His Eminence Cardinal William Goh organised by the Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue - ACCIRD
held this year at St Joseph's Church (Victoria Street) on 27 Dec 2023 (Wed).

Photograph Credits: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore

Interreligious Dialogue @ St Joseph's Church - 27 Dec 2023 Interreligious Dialogue @ St Joseph's Church - 27 Dec 2023

Pizzaballa in Bethlehem: May Christ be born anew in this land! - Vatican News At the Midnight Mass in Bethlehem, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem speaks about the horrors of the war ravaging the Holy Land, affecting both ...

Pope: May Christmas bring peace to our world and turn sorrow into joy - Vatican News In his Christmas message at the midday Urbi et Orbi blessing on Christmas Day, Pope Francis speaks of how the child Jesus reveals God's tender love ...

Cardinal Pizzaballa prays for an end to the violence and dialogue to prevail - Vatican News In a Christmas message sent exclusively to Vatican News and L'Osservatore Romano, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem calls for recognizing each other as ...

Gospel of the Day (John 1,1-18)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be
through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God.
And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'"
From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him.