Deepavali Message (October 2025)

Dear Hindu friends, happy and blessed Deepavali!

May your celebrations commemorating good King Rama’s return from exile, after he defeated the evil Ravana, be filled with “dancing, music, and festive joy” – the theme of this year’s Light-up Aattam, Paattam, Kondattam. The return of the dazzling and colourful Utsavam street parade after six years of absence truly attests to your community’s faith, hope, and resilience in prevailing over the darkness of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The chant “Asato ma sadgamaya, Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya, Mrityorma amritam gamaya” truly embodies the spirit of Deepavali. Your invocation to “Lead me from falsehood to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality” echoes the refrain of a popular Catholic hymn based on Psalm 23: “Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.” Indeed, Catholics worldwide celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope this year, with the theme Pilgrims of Hope, reflecting our belief that life is a pilgrimage towards our true home in heaven where, after our earthly struggle with temptation and suffering, we will find eternal rest with God. The lights in Little India, your homes, and your places of worship, remind us of our Christian hope in Jesus, the Light of the World, the one of whom Scripture says: “You have turned my mourning into dancing, you have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” (Psalm 30:11)

In May, Pope Leo XIV greeted the representatives of the various religious traditions gathered in the Vatican to celebrate his election: “In a world wounded by violence and conflict, each of the communities represented here brings its own contribution of wisdom, compassion and commitment to the good of humanity and the preservation of our common home.” He thanked them for “The witness of our fraternity, which I hope we will be able to show with effective gestures, [and which] will certainly contribute to building a more peaceful world…”. The Deepavali festivities are such an “effective gesture” of fraternity, uniting all Singaporeans in celebrating the rich diversity and vibrancy of our multi-cultural society. It invites everyone to walk and work together in wisdom, compassion and commitment, beyond SG60, to build the “We-First” nation of peace envisioned by PM Lawrence Wong in his 2025 National Day Speech.

Thank you for sharing the gift of Deepavali with us – the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore rejoices with you. Once again, we wish all our Hindu brothers and sisters a happy and joyous Deepavali!

✠ H. Em. William Cardinal Goh

Archbishop of Singapore

Msgr Peter Zhang, CDD

Vicar-General

(Interreligious and Ecumenical Relations)

13 October 2025