Vatican to Hindus: religion must be free

The Vatican's Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialog today published a greeting to Hindus on the occasion of Diwali, the "festival of lights."

In the message, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran stressed the importance of religious freedom, writing that "there can be no coercion in religion: no one can be forced to believe, neither can anyone who wishes to believe be prevented from doing so."

Tauran made a similar point this past September in his greeting to Muslims at the end of Ramadan.