Pope to UAE Sikhs: Faith and Service are Intimately Linked

On 12 Nov a Sikh delegation from the United Arab Emirates met Pope Francis in Rome over an initiative of the Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Gurdwara in Dubai. Pope Francis said, ‘Faith and service are intimately linked and lead us closer to God.’ He further said: ‘Bear witness to your endeavor to live by faith and to contribute to the good of society,’ especially as the Sikhs seek to integrate themselves but at the same time ‘remain steadfast to your own specific identity.’ The Pope will be returning to the UAE in early December for the COP28 conference. This will mark his second Apostolic Journey to the UAE after his February 2019 visit to sign the Document on Human Fraternity and Living Together at an interfaith summit. Pope Francis will also be the first Pope to attend the UN climate summit. Over the past few years in Panjab, there has been an uproar over lower caste Sikh and Hindu conversions to Christianity. Over a year back, Angelo Rufino Gracias, head of the Jalandhar Diocese, said some splinter groups were engaging in aggressive proselytization and the Church itself was upset with such fake preachers. Now the Pope's statement – remain steadfast to your own specific identity – further strengthens the mainstream view. The statement also assumes significance because Sikhs globally are being targeted over their religious articles of faith and are now also in the eye of a storm due to the fracas between Canada and India.