Work for inclusive society, real love is acceptance: Archbishop
Times of India | 29 December 2024
1234 Kolkata: Accept others without suspicion and work together to build an inclusive society, urged the Archbishop of Calcutta, Reverend Father Thomas D'Souza, at a Christmas get-together at the Archbishop House on Saturday.
Pointing out that mere tolerance was not enough, he said, "Real love is acceptance, not tolerance. Tolerance is making concessions." "When you make an effort to be inclusive, you have to create a society, where everybody respects the other. There should not be suspicion or any kind of superiority. We need an inclusive society, where everyone looks at the other as brothers and sisters," said the Archbishop.
The Christmas celebrations at Archbishop's House transcended the boundaries of religion, class, caste and community as people from all walks of life and religious leaders across faiths joined in. The Archbishop read out a prayer from the Gospel and spoke on the need to build bridges of hope and peace.
"Christmas is a time when we exchange greetings of peace, love, hope. In the Catholic Church, 2025 will be celebrated as the Jubilee Year 2025 with the motto, ‘Pilgrims of Hope'," he added.
Carols were sung in English, Bengali, and Hindi, reflecting on unity and harmony. Students of Convent Of Our Lady Of Providence Girls' High School presented a skit on Christmas beyond barriers. The Christmas story was told through music and dance and the event ended with Kolkata Christian Choir taking the stage.