Vienna (OTS) – At a ceremony on June 13, Gerhard Weißgrab, President of the Austrian Buddhist Religious Society, was awarded an honorary doctorate from the American distance learning university Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi Christian University (JHPCU).
In doing so, the Theological Faculty of the JHPCU underlines, among other things, the honoree’s commitment to the board of the “Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations” and the board of the interreligious “Association of Friends of Religious Education,” in which the honoree contributes to education, dialogue and peace work to anchor society.
The ceremony took place in front of numerous guests of honor in the meeting room of the deanery of the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Vienna.
According to the JHPCU’s letter of appreciation, Gerhard Weißgrab received this honor for his “outstanding contributions to the integration of the Buddhist religious community into European and Austrian society, with which he made a significant contribution to interreligious dialogue, which he sees as a central concern for social peace “.
In his laudatory speech, Prof. Elmar Kuhn, dean of the JHPCU’s religious studies faculty, emphasized Gerhard Weißgrab’s great contribution to dialogue, reconciliation and charity.
In his acceptance speech, Weißgrab emphasized the importance of dialogue: “Receiving this honorary doctorate from a Christian university cannot be valued highly enough. It shows a state of dialogue that has reached a very high level. May we succeed in bringing this level to wider society.”
Photo: ÖBR/Manfred Krejci
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