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In the Heart of the Church |
The Church
and Interreligious Dialogue
"It Is a Journey in Search of the Truth"
Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran
April 23, 2008
Nairobi, Kenya
Here is an excerpt
of the address Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, gave at a five-day
conference in Nairobi on "Formation in Interreligious Dialogue in
Sub-Saharan Africa."
My dear friends, 43 years ago His Holiness Pope Paul VI, published
his first Papal Encyclical, Ecclesiam Suam, in which he underlined
the new spirit of dialogue and collaboration manifesting itself in
the world. In explaining the nature of this dialogue with the
"world," he identified the interlocutors as "those human beings whoa
re opposed to the light of faith and the gift of grace" (n.59),
"non-Christians" (nn.107-108), non-Catholics/other Christians
(nn.109-120). The foresighted Pontiff went further to describe the
characteristics of this dialogue: it must respect human freedom and
dignity and be accompanied by meekness. He drew attention to the
dangers of relativism of watering down or whittling away of truth.
He affirmed: "Our apostolate must not make vague comprises
concerning the principles which regulate and govern the profession
of Christian faith both in theory and in practice. An immoderate
desire to make peace and sink differences at all costs is ultimately
nothing more than skepticism about the power and content of the Word
of God which we desire to preach." (n.88).
The key document of the Second Vatican Council on inter-religious
dialogue, Nostra Aetate, highlighted the common elements of
different religious: All human beings have same origin and same end.
God is the creator of all. The same destiny, "namely God" awaits
every human being. God's providence, "evident goodness, and saving
designs extend to all men" (n.1). Moreover human beings face the
same challenges of searching for answers to some of the profound
questions of human existence. The look to their different religions
for answers to the unsolved riddles of life:" What is man? What is
the meaning and purpose of life? What is upright behaviour, and what
is sinful? Where does suffering originate, and what end does it
serve? How can genuine happiness be found? What happens at death?"
(n.1).
Since after the Second Vatican Council, the Church has been
promoting inter-religious dialogue by emphasizing the spiritual
bonds that unite people of different religions. This was a constant
theme in many of the addresses of Pope John Paul II throughout his
Pontificate. For example, here in Kenya on May 7, 1980, addressing
the Muslims of Kenya, he said: "On my part I wish to do everything
possible to help develop the spiritual bonds between Christians and
Muslims. Prayer, almsgiving and fasting are highly valued in both
our traditions and are beyond doubt a splendid witness to a world
that runs the risk of being absorbed by materialism." To the Hindus,
he said: "The purpose of life, the nature of good, the path of
happiness, the meaning of death and the end of our human journey-
all these truths form the object of our common service of man in his
many needs, and to the promotion of his full human dignity."
In several documents the Catholic Church expresses her esteem of
other religions. In the Nostra Aetate, we read that the Church "has
a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and
doctrines which, although differing in many ways from her own
teaching, nevertheless often reflect a ray of that truth which
enlightens all men." Of the religions, Pope Paul VI said, "many of
these religious possess an impressive patrimony of deeply religious
texts. They carry within them the echo of thousands of years of
searching for God…. They possess an impressive patrimony of deeply
religious texts. They have taught generations of people how to
pray." But the Church insists that she is "duty bound to proclaim.
Without fail, Christ who is the way, the truth and the life' (John
14,6).
Further, the Church acknowledges that God wills all human beings to
be saved and this salvation is extended to all those who are not
Christians" nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and moved by
grace, try in their actions to do his wills they know it though the
dictates of their conscience." And includes those "who without any
fault of theirs, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of
God, and who, not without grace,, strive to lead a good life. And
according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "indeed, God
desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth'
(1 Tim.2,4); that is God wills the salvation of everyone through the
knowledge of the truth. Salvation is found in the truth. Those who
obey the promptings of the Spirit of truth are already on the way of
salvation." (n.851).
The Catholic Church recognizes partners in dialogue as equal in
dignity as human persons. But this does not mean that "all religions
are more or less the same."
As might be expected, for different reasons, not every person is
enthused about inter-religious dialogue. There are those who think
that inter-religious dialogue, if not a betrayal of the mission of
the Church to convert every person to Christ, are a new method of
winning members to Christianity. There are those who hold that the
drive of the Church for inter-religious relations is an effort to
control the spread of other religions. It is not any of these. In
Nostra Aetate," The Church… urges her sons (and daughters) to enter
with prudence and charity into discussion and collaboration with
members of other religions. Let Christian's while witnessing to
their own faith and way of life, acknowledge, preserve and encourage
the spiritual and moral truths found among non-Christians, also
their social life and culture."
Inter-religious Dialogue, service to the truth
Inter-religious dialogue is certainly a bridge-building exercise. It
has to do with the way and means of relating with people of
different religions. It includes creating harmony in the society,
encouraging development of friendship and spirit of tolerance. But
it goes beyond the niceties of polite conversation which encourages
people to stay where they are and avoid talking about the grey areas
of disagreement. It is a journey in search of the truth. Pope Paul
VI explains that the principal responsibility of the Church is
service to the Truth- "truth about God, truth about man and his
hidden destiny, truth bout the world, truth which we discover in the
Word of God and of which we are neither the masters nor the authors
but the guardians, the heralds and the ministers" Partners in
inter-religious dialogue are fellow pilgrims in the search for
truth. It is a task that demands faith. Only people of faith, who
are open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, can rightly engage in
inter-religious dialogue.
Inter-religious Dialogue, animated by and expressed in works of
charity
In Ecclesiam Suam, Pope Paul VI described inter-religious dialogue
as "a method of accomplishing the apostolic mission." (n.8). Several
years later, Pope John Paul II inserted it where it really belongs
as "part of the evangelizing mission of the Church." As explained in
Dialogue and Mission, the source of this mission is divine love;
this love is revealed in Christ; the love is made present through
the action of the Holy Spirit; and all activities of the Church are
to be imbued with love. It is indeed "the impulse of interior
charity which tends to become an exterior gift of Charity."
Pope Benedict XVI affirms that inter-religious dialogue forms part
of the "diakonia" which the Church offers to the world.
Caritas-agape goes beyond the confines of the visible Church because
it is motivated by Christ's mission of the Church to every human
being without distinction.
Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran is currently the president of the
Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. He is from
Bordeaux, France, and he has been serving the Holy See since 1975.
He was consecrated a bishop in 1991 and a cardinal in 2003 by John
Paul II.
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