Vatican wishes Hindus a happy Diwali, a feast day dedicated to their gods

[Stone]

Vatican wishes Hindus a happy Diwali, a feast day dedicated to their gods
The Holy See's letter does not mention the name of Jesus.



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Oct 13, 2025
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews ) — The Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue published a letter offering “best wishes” to Hindus as they prepare to observe the feast of “Deepavali,” marking the beginning of the new year and worship of god. But of which god?

Also known as the feast of “Diwali,” the religious observance is based on mythology and celebrates victory of truth over falsehood, of light over darkness, of life over death, and of good over evil.

The Vatican’s letter fails to seize the opportunity to point Hindus to the one and only great victor of truth over falsehood, of light over darkness, of life over death, and of good over evil, Jesus Christ.

Not once does the letter, signed by the Dicastery’s Prefect, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, and Secretary, Msgr. Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage, mention the Name of Jesus or point to Him as the one “way, the truth, and the life,” (John 14:6).

The Hindu holiday “typically involves ritualistic prayers to Indian deities such as Maa Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Lord Rama, whose triumph over evil is central to the celebration of Diwali,” according to the California Family Council (CFC).

“Other gods include Sita, the goddess of fertility and devotion; Hanuman, the monkey god; Kali, the goddess of power and destruction,” the CFC noted.

Hinduism teaches a false equivalency between religions, as pointed out by Catholic Answers.

“Hinduism is popular because, like Buddhism, it avoids conflict, since it believes all religious traditions are different paths to the same end,” Anthony Clark wrote in a 2012 article. “But, as we shall see, this is a contradiction: To assert that two conflicting positions are in fact correlative is not only irrational but untruthful.”

Catholicism is “the only true faith, founded upon the natural and revealed certainties given by one God,” so it “cannot by sound reasoning fit into the ideals of religious pluralism,” Clark explained.

The article also quotes well-respected Catholic apologist Peter Kreeft, noting the problems with Eastern mysticism. “Individuality is an illusion according to Eastern mysticism,” Kreeft said. “Not that we are not real but that we are not distinct from God or each other.”

Hinduism, thus, “denies the possibility of a creator God,” Clark wrote.