VATICAN CITY (UCAN) -- Pope Benedict has encouraged the bishops of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei to engage in "open and honest dialogue" with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and followers of other religions.

Their apostolate "requires a commitment to interreligious dialogue," he said, encouraging them "to carry forward this important work, exploring every avenue open to you." This can "foster growth in religious freedom and greater social cohesion," and is "conducive to peace," he stated.

He addressed the bishops as a group -- 11 from Malaysia, Archbishop Nicholas Chia of Singapore, Bishop Cornelius Sim of Brunei vicariate -- on June 6 in his private library. They were making their ad limina visit to the successor of St. Peter and the Roman Curia. The pope also met each bishop privately.

Archbishop Murphy Pakiam of Kuala Lumpur, president of the Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, expressed their joy at meeting the pope and thanked him for his "wise decision" in reinstating the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue as a separate office.

He described the local Churches as built on a model of communion, beginning with Basic Ecclesial Communities. They also give special attention to families and hospitality to immigrants and refugees, he said.

Malaysia currently hosts 3 million migrants, mostly from Asia, the archbishop told UCA News in Rome.

Catholics, though a tiny minority in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore, "are recognized by peoples of other faiths as a balanced and well-organized group who are respectful of other religions," he told the pope.

According to local Church information, 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people are Muslim and 3 percent, about 900,000 people, are Catholics. More than 70 percent of Brunei's 358,000 people are Muslims, and registered Catholics number about 5,000, but most of the 20,000 Filipino workers also are Catholics. The 174,000 Catholics in Singapore form 3.9 percent of the 4.5-million population.

Archbishop Pakiam told the pope Christians in Malaysia, as elsewhere, are "experiencing the encroaching restrictions that a particular stream of Islam is advocating." But this has produced "unexpected fruit," he said, in the banding together of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Taoists. "Our stance has been to build bridges with Islam, but defend oneself against those who abuse its name."

Alluding to this, Pope Benedict said in his address, "I realize that not all the territories you represent offer the same degree of religious liberty." He cited "serious difficulties in promoting religious instruction in schools" as an example.

However, he told the bishops to "not become disheartened" but to continue proclaiming the Good News because of the "intense yearning for God" among the Asian peoples, which he called "fertile ground" for evangelization.

He reminded the bishops the Church's faith in Jesus is a gift to be shared -- "the greatest gift which the Church can offer to Asia."

Nonetheless, he acknowledged the faith "needs to strike deep roots in Asian soil, lest it be perceived as a foreign import, alien to the culture and traditions of your people." He recommended the bishops present it "in ways that resonate with the innate spiritual insight and moral wisdom in the Asian soul."

He urged them to combat "materialism and relativism" as well as the "positivist" agenda that "seeks to exclude God from public discourse."

Pope Benedict called on the bishops to emphasize "the universal character of human rights," grounded in God-given human dignity. "Stressing human rights and the freedom of religion and its practice" is "an important task of evangelization, since this teaching forms an essential aspect of the Gospel," he told them.

Archbishop Pakiam had mentioned "the shortage of vocations" while highlighting the "sizable number of actively involved laity in our churches."

Pope Benedict urged the bishops "to show particular concern" for their priests, which he said would inspire new vocations. "I am aware that there are some regions where it is rare for the people to see a priest and others where the people have not yet heard the Gospel," he added.

In this context, he emphasized the importance of "the formation of the laity" and assured "catechists, both lay and Religious," he prayed for them and appreciated "the enormous contribution" they make to their Christian communities.

END