Meeting God in Friend and Stranger

1. Meeting God in Friend and Stranger • “[As religion is so close to people’s heart] any activity that promotes respect and better understanding among believers must contribute to peace, at a time when justice and peace are so threatened.” • Interreligious dialogue as a real challenge • Church as the sign and instrument of communication with God and one another • Importance of ecumenical work

2. Structure of the Document • What is Interreligious Dialogue? • The Changing Face of Britain • Dialogue in the Teaching of the Catholic Church • Prayer and Worship • Interreligious Marriage • At the Local Level

3. 1. What is Interreligious Dialogue? • “…means not only discussion, but also includes all positive and constructive interreligious relations with individuals and communities of other faiths which are directed at mutual understanding and enrichment” (Dialogue and Mission) • Dialogue of action and academic dialogue • On the one hand: open attitude • On the other: responsibility to voice any doubts or misgivings about the other’s position • Dialogue won’t always be met with enthusiasm, requires openness • There are “rays” and “seeds” of truth in other religions – although we need to be cautious in identifying them

4. 2. The Changing Face of Britain • Other religions are more visible – increased self-confidence, which can frighten people • Globalisation with its advantages and disadvantages • ‘Privatisation’ of faith • Church supports freedom from persecution and prejudice; and rejects relativism (one universal truth that can also be seen in other religions) • “This Christian witness may well involve facing up to negative attitudes in ourselves as well as others” • Catholics need a solid knowledge of their own faith to reach out to others, as well as patience and an attitude free of prejudice • “For a Christian, interreligious dialogue is profoundly Christ-like work”

5. Chapter 3: Dialogue in the Teaching of the Catholic Church • “Interreligious dialogue, which is part of the Church’s evangelising mission, requires an attitude of understanding and a relationship of mutual knowledge and reciprocal enrichment, in obedience to the truth and with respect for freedom” (Dominus Iesus) • Benedict XVI: first priority dialogue with Christians, second dialogue with other religions • Nostra aetate: • Firstly relationships with the Jews, in the light of the Holocaust, but also as a celebration of connectedness (olive tree image) • “Our dearly beloved brothers” (John Paul II) • Full acceptance of Judaism (Secretariat for Relations with the Jews joined with Secretariat for Christian Unity)

6. 3. Dialogue in the Teaching of the Catholic Church (2) • “In all its teaching, the Catholic Church keeps a careful balance between insisting that God truly wills the eternal salvation of all people, and insisting with equal force Christ is the one and only means and mediator of salvation.” • Unity of the human race • The need to be open to all that is true and holy in other religions • Call to dialogue

7. 3. Dialogue in the Teaching of the Catholic Church (3) Unity • “The differences are a less important element, when confronted with the unity which is radical, fundamental and decisive” (John Paul II) • All people are created in the image of God, and there is only one plan for humankind • All have equal rights and dignity • Religious freedom: Right and obligation to pursue the truth (DH) • Equality as a precondition for dialogue • Equal validity of participants, not of beliefs • Shared questions

8. Openness to what is true and holy • “a ray of the one truth”, “seeds of the word” • Finding a balance between affirmative statements and what is lacking • No superiority of Christians: “What Christians have received is totally unmerited on their part. It is an assertion rather of the bountiful goodness of God” • Presence of saving grace in other religions: Those who do not know of the Church, but search for God and try to follow God through their conscience, and those who “have not yet attained to the express recognition of God yet who strive, not without divine grace, to lead an upright life”

9. Openness to what is true and holy (continued) • The Spirit is at work in all religions • Through the same spirit, we are “deeply related” and at the same time “sadly distant” • The Church has an active role in the salvation of all people, it is not just passively related • Special relationship to each religion • Dialogue with all religions is “appropriate and fruitful”

10. Call to dialogue • The call by the Church is a response to the call to the Church • Signs of the times: modern communication and immigration • Dialogue is not optional, but intrinsic to the Church

11. Dialogue • Pope Paul VI: “Dialogue of salvation”, through Christ, by the Holy Spirit active in the world • Church’s task to carry this dialogue on and make it accessible to all • Loving your neighbour and interreligious dialogue continues this • Pragmatic motivation: Danger of terrorism, extremism • Motivation of entering into God’s story with humankind – Holy Spirit as motivator and common ground • First step: convergences and divergences • Second step: Recognising and confronting God’s Otherness in the Otherness of other religions

12. Dialogue (continued) • Can only take place between people who know about their religions: “There must be no abandonment of principles or false irenicism, but instead a witness given and received for mutual advancement” (RM) • It is an expression of Christian hope and needs to be carried out with “prudence and charity” (NA) • Should be ecumenical: ‘facing outwards together’ • Forms of dialogue • Dialogue of Life • Dialogue of Action • Dialogue of Theological Exchange • Dialogue of Religious Experience

13. Dialogue (continued) • Roots in scripture, although ‘defensive’ voices can be louder • Old testament: Covenant with all survivors of the flood, appreciation of ‘foreigners’ (e.g. Nineveh) • New testament: Jesus’ inclusive work • “includes all positive and constructive interreligious relations with individuals and communities of other faiths which are directed at mutual understanding and enrichment”

14. Chapter 4: Prayer and worship • “Every authentic prayer is called forth by the holy spirit” (John Paul II) • Need for shared prayer – marriages, funerals, natural disaster, human conflict, invitations to each other’s places of worship • Not Christian, but same movement: prompted by the Spirit, through Christ to the Father • Lex orandi, lex credendi: we cannot pray together as we have different beliefs • Praying for one another, in presence of and in solidarity with each other: “We don’t come to pray together, but we come together to pray”

15. Chapter 4: Prayer and worship (continued) • Opportunities for this: • Visits to services of other religions, people of other religions in Christian services (“respectful presence”) • “Multi-faith pilgrimage” • Shared response to events (e.g. Holocaust remembrance) In all: • Respect for each other’s religious identities, but not necessarily agreement through presence • Danger of syncretism to be avoided • Shared symbolic gestures can be powerful

16. Chapter 5: Interreligious Marriage • All marriage: intended and blessed from the beginning, lifelong and exclusive union with the orientation on the birth and upbringing of children • Christian marriage as a sacrament • Other religions have marriage and family values at their heart, which are threatened by values of our time • Intercultural marriages can deepen faith and be an enrichment • Respect for both partners’ religious feelings, openness, adapted ceremonies, continued support for their married life

17. Chapter 6: At the local level • Great variations within and between dioceses • Greater government tendency to value Faith Communities • Resources: volunteers, buildings, ‘role models’ for community cohesion • ‘Local strategic partnership’, all Catholics encouraged to participate fully • Dialogue and collaboration between communities: much of this is specific to lay people • “Journey of mind and heart” is necessary to see the need for dialogue • Youth work, good structures: coordinators, catechetical and adult education

18. Chapter 6: At the local level (continued) • Strong contribution of religious orders (Sisters of Sion, missionary congregations) • ‘Faith in the system’: interreligious dialogue within Catholic schools as well as to the outside • “Cherishing Education for Human Growth” – learning from and learning about • Chaplaincies as places of cooperation

19. Concluding reflections “To turn away from even the attempt to dialogue is to despair of the power of God and of his risen Son to advance his own Kingdom of peace and love.” Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him the glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)