YANGON: Church people are committed to urging their flock to understand those from other religions not only with the brain but wholeheartedly. “Only then will we fully understand each other’s culture,” said Father Maurice Nyunt Wai, vicar general of Pathein diocese.

“Culture and religion may be different but can’t be separated,” he told an interreligious dialogue seminar which opened today [Feb. 5] in Yangon.

He was one of 29 priests and nuns at the event at the compound of Catholic Bishops Conference of Myanmar (CBCM) that will run until Sunday [Feb. 7].

The seminar was organized by Archbishop Paul Zinghtung Grawng, the CBCM president.

“During the first day of the seminar we have learnt a lot and realized that we still have some weak points in relations with other religions,” said Father Eugene Mahn Saw La, parish priest of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Nyaung-gone village of Yangon archdiocese.

“In discussion with others, we need to express our real or true feelings and also need to accept others’ beliefs,” he said.

The first session on Feb. 5th morning was conducted by Jesuit Father Francis X. D’Sa, the director of the Institute for the study of Religions in Pune, India, and explored religion’s relationship to culture.

“We have done a lot regarding interreligious dialogue,” Father Mark Tin Win, secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, told UCA News.

“Our main challenge is that most of the people do not know of our relations with Buddhist monks and some of our priests are not interested in it.

“Our future plans are to continue to hold an interfaith dialogue every year and we will invite both local and outside resource persons,” said Father Tin Win.