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Christianity Guru Nanak Jayanti Message From Catholic Church

Feb 23, 2012
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I meant to put this up on the 28th of Novemember but sadly forgot! icecreammunda

But better late than never!

http://www.catholicnews.org.uk/Home/News-Releases/Guru-Nanak-Jayanti

On Guru Nanak Jayanti, Sikhs celebrate the coming into the world the first Guru of Sikhism. This year, the festival is celebrated on 28 November.

Guru Nanak's teachings centre on justice and equality for all, which is mirrored in his friendships with Muslim and Hindu contemporaries. Sikhs follow his teachings by selflessly serving those in need, and Guru Nanak Jayanti is traditionally celebrated with the singing of hymns, a complete reading of the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, and, in some places, with processions.

Apart from Sikhs, the Nanakpanthi Hindus and other followers of Guru Nanak's philosophy also celebrate this festival.

Cardinal Tauran, the Prefect of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, has released a Vatican message to the world's Sikh communities titled Christians and Sikhs: Working Together for Reconciliation and Peace. It speaks about the relationship between sound moral values and peace in the world focusing on integrity in our personal relationships as a vital building block.

You can read the message alongside Archbishop McDonald's commendation below.

Here is a link to the PDF produced by the Vatican for Sikhs worldwide to mark Guru Nanak's birth:

Vatican Message: Guru Nanak Jayanti 2012

And Archbishop McDonald's commendation letter:

Letter: Archbishop McDonald - Guru Nanak Jayanti 2012
 
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spnadmin

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Sorry for the delay in response. Here is a short history of a recent dispute.

The SGPC adopted the Nanakshahi Calendar in 2003. But six years later, it said it would change all sangraans, the first day of each month, back to Bikrami, and would change major gurpurabs such as the prakash of Guru Gobind Singh, the martyrdom of Guru Arjan, gurgadhi of Guru Granth Sahib and joti jot of Guru Gobind Singh, back to Bikrami.

The 2003 Nanakshahi calendar was the official calendar until 2011. The reason for the change is discussed at this link

http://www.sikhnn.com/headlines/1265/lobbying-continues-against-changes-nanakshahi-calendar?page=2

The 2003 calendar was based on scientific calculations, and avoided many problems such as having 2 guru birthdays in one year, and some birthdays skipped now and again. That is the problem with lunar calendars. 13 months to a year changes the sequencing and/or timing of events within a single year. Another problem with the earlier calendar, the Bikram Sambat calendar, was delay. Everyone had to wait for astrologers in Benares to complete their calculations before anyone would know when important festivals would occur. Sometimes the wait was for weeks.

As the link above explains, political currents in Punjab led to the abandonment of the 2003 calendar and a return in 2011 to a revised version of the Bikram Sambat calendar, only this time the 2011 calendar was named Nanakshahi also. So there is a lot of confusion. The birthday of Guru Nanak is April 15. So I do not know how the Pope connected with the November date.

Here is more background http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/controversies/34529-purewal-flays-sad-sgpc-arbitrary-changes.html
 
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Feb 23, 2012
391
642
United Kingdom
Thank you Spnadmin ji mundahug

This is quite confusing! I had not been aware of the Calendar issue.

Wikipedia has 2012 Guru Nanak's birthday as 28th November: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Nanak_Gurpurab

Numerous other websites are the same. Just type in 2012 Guru Nanak jayanti or Gurupurab and you will find numerous websites with this day.

I am bewildered as to why so many use the 28th November date when it is the 14th and should actually be in April?

Obviously, whatever Sikh association has been advising the Vatican has told them to prepare this message for the 28th of November.

Why, I do not know.
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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VOUTHON jI...

YOU WROTE:<<<< I am bewildered as to why so many use the 28th November date when it is the 14th and should actually be in April? <<<<<<

Actually we Sikhs are no different from the Christians...Christians celebrate Christmas..when its NOT a Christian festival but a pagan one..sun worshipping..and the actual Birthdate of Jesus Christ is unknown and never celebrated...and now Christmas has changed drastically into mostley Santa Claus big belly white beard reindeers and ho ho ho and commercialism at the highest degree...maybe about 1% of HOLINESS..nativity plays and Bible reading left..otherwise its all not at all what Christ Ji would have wnated..
We Sikhs are slowly but surely descending down the same path...Hopefully the Vatican the holy SEE and those involved cna bring back the REAL CHRISTMAS...as we hope the SGPC can bring back the REAL Guru nanak Gurpurab...

BUT ...THANK YOU for this Thread and the Message. Its appreciated Ji.
 

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