Read the official Chinese translation . Dear Buddhist friends, On this sacred day of Vesak, we rejoice with you as you honour the birth, enlightenment, and final nirvana of the Buddha – may your observance of this holy day be a spiritually-fulfilling one. This year, the Catholic Church celebrates the Jubilee of Hope. In his message inaugurating this Holy Year, Pope Francis called on Catholics worldwide to be signs of hope to others as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ on the journey of life