天天主教神父羅吉斯於六月十九日專程前往北加州萬佛聖城，瞻仰上宣下化老和尚德相，並在萬佛聖城的萬佛殿舉行彌撤儀式，以追悼老和尚。
邏吉斯神父現任加州州立漢堡大學宗教教授，並在漢堡大學重生協會擔任主禮人。他曾訪問亞洲與中國，也見過許多當代政治、宗教領袖。羅吉斯神父認識宣公上人多年，他認為宣公上人心量大，很能包容其他宗教。
六月十九日中午十二時三十分，羅吉斯神父在萬佛聖城的萬佛殿望彌撤，一襲潔白白的聖袍與萬佛殿內金色的萬尊佛相互輝映。這正是宣公上人生前所提倡的：宗教界人士應互相合作，共同為為挽救人類免於浩劫而努力，不要再分門別派，互爭高下。
羅吉斯神父主持了三十分鐘的彌撤儀式，一方面追思宣公上人生前對眾生的教化，一方面也祈求世界和平。彌撤儀式結束後，羅吉斯神父前往萬佛城「無言堂」，向宣公上人致敬，並瞻仰上人德相。
老和尚住世時，就曾多次將萬佛殿借給天主教人士望彌撤，也曾邀請天主教神父、基督教牧師與佛教徒共同座談，互相溝通、了解。在六月十七日，老和尚的法體由洛杉磯地區迎請回北加州萬佛聖城時，加州威利斯美以美教會牧師湯姆·麥克米倫也特地前往萬佛聖城向老和尚致敬。 |
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On June 19, 1995, Father John Rogers, a Catholic priest, made a trip to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in northern California to gaze reverently upon the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua’s visage. He also held a Catholic Mass in the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas in memory of the Master.
Father Rogers is a Lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies and Chaplain of the Newman Association at Humboldt State University of California. He has visited China and other parts of Asia, and has met with many contemporary political and religious leaders. Father Rogers has known Master Hua for many years and feels the Master is very broad-minded and tolerant of other religions.
At 12:30 in the afternoon on June 19, Father Rogers held mass in the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the pure whiteness of his flowing priest’s robe reflecting the dazzle of the ten thousand golden Buddha statues on the walls. This was exactly what the Master had advocated, that “the members of different religions should work together to rescue mankind and avert calamities. Don’t divide into factions and strive for supremacy.”
Father Rogers performed the thirty-minute mass in tribute to the Master’s teaching and transforming of living beings, and also to pray for world peace. After the mass was over, Father Rogers went to the Hall of No Words, where he paid his respects to the Master and gazed upon the Master’s visage.
During his life, the Master invited Catholics to hold mass in the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas many times. The Master also invited Catholic priests, Christian ministers and pastors, and Buddhists to participate in conferences and dialogues for the purpose of furthering their mutual communication and understanding. On June 17 when the Master’s casket was transported from Los Angeles and welcomed back to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Tom Macmillan, Christian minister of the Methodist Church in Willits, also came to the City to pay his respects to the Master. |
