Vesak Day Message (May 2025)

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.

He wrote that, although life has its joys and sorrows, love is tested amidst trials, and hope can falter in the face of suffering, yet, “We boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.’ (Romans 5:3-4)”

In the homily for Easter Sunday Mass 2025, he added, “The Jubilee invites us to renew the gift of hope within us, to surrender our sufferings and our concerns to hope, to share it with those whom we meet along our journey, and to entrust the future of our lives and the destiny of the human family to hope. We cannot settle for the fleeting things of this world or give in to sadness; we must run, filled with joy, towards Jesus. Let us allow his Word of life and truth to shine in our life.”

In a similar way, within the Buddhist tradition, the understanding of impermanence (anitya) brings hope too, for his wisdom reminds you that nothing lasts forever – neither sorrow nor joy – and that even the most difficult situations are only temporary. Thus, with patience and perseverance, the turbulent waters of life can be navigated, knowing that change is always possible.

This Vesak, as you renew your commitment to walking the Noble Eightfold Path to end suffering and achieve enlightenment through the practice of Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration, may you do so with steadfastness, courage and unwavering hope.

As Singapore celebrates SG60 this year, may our hearts be filled with gratitude for our founding leaders, and the Pioneer and Merdeka generations from our various faith communities who suffered side by side with dignity – and ultimately prevailed – to build the cohesive and close-knit multi-racial and multi-religious society we enjoy today.

In these uncertain and unsettling times, let us forge ahead together in determination, joy and hope to leave a lasting legacy of prosperity, peace and harmony for future generations of Singaporeans, and to be a shining example of unity and solidarity for the world.

On behalf of the Catholic community in Singapore, we wish you a happy and holy Vesak Day!

✠ H. Em. William Cardinal Goh

Archbishop of Singapore

Msgr Peter Zhang, CDD

Vicar-General

(Interreligious and Ecumenical Relations)

12 May 2025