Yesterday's event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate featured various rituals, performances and testimonies.
The opening featured the Kandyan Dance, also known as the Uda Rata Natum. This ceremonial ritual from Sri Lanka is dedicated to the pagan deity Kohomba, and is intended to invoke protection and healing.
According to legend, this ritual was introduced by pagan deities or celestial beings.
The Vatican’s speaker announced: 'Its origins date back to Buddhist rituals, in which dance was offered as an act of devotion to bring blessings, harmony and peace.'
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