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SFP VOICES OCTOBER 2009
Vol. V, No. 8 © |
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INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE:
NURTURING HOPE AND UNITY
IN THE COMMUNITY OF LIFE
"Dialogue can bring about the unifying and liberating potential of all religions."
At the beginning of this third millennium of Christianity, if we could penetrate with our eyes the whole reality of the earth, what would we see?
- More than five billion human beings : males, females, some wealthy, many more poor, some with yellow, some with darker skin, some with white skin ; some living in peace, others in war ;
- Christians (one billion, 950 million), Muslims (one billion), Hindus (777 million), Buddhists (341 million), some belonging to new religious movements (128 million), some to indigenous religions (99 million), some Jewish (14 million), some without religious affiliation (1 billion and 1 million).
What does this all mean? What opportunity does this rich ethnic, cultural, and religious pluralism provide for our lives today ?
 Witness to Interreligious Dialogue: Sr. Laura Cantello, who devotes her life to the promotion of women and healing the sick |
Within the context of divisions, exploitation, and conflicts that the various religions (including Christianity) have created throughout history, dialogue can bring about the unifying and liberating potential of all religions. This leads to showing the value of religion for the well-being of humanity and for justice and peace in the world.
The Second Vatican Council exhorted all Catholics to engage in dialogue that could "recognize, preserve and promote the development of the spiritual and moral good, along with socio-cultural values", which are present in the followers of other religions, to "promote together, for all humanity, social justice, moral values, peace and freedom."
In 1893 the first experience of interreligious dialogue was born in Chicago, Illinois. The effort had been initiated by eighty leaders -- though Muslims, Buddhists, and Anglicans declined to participate. In 1993 more than eight thousand representatives of different religions again arrived in Chicago. Their final statement has become famous: “We are all responsible to seek a better world order. . .we feel we are in the position to promote the well being of all humanity and of planet Earth.” Other gatherings followed in Capetown, South Africa (1999), and Barcelona, Spain (2004).
True interreligious dialogue is not politics, but seeks truth as a vital element of a fully human experience. In our multicultural world, we cannot avoid it. Today dialogue is needed more than ever. Dialogue needs to respect differences, and to be brave, persevere, and be nourished by the hope which dwells in all those who believe in God.
St Francis with Al-Kamil (15th Century)
How do we live out interreligious dialogue in Senegal ?
According to the most recent statistics, people in Senegal are 94% Muslim and 5% Christian, mainly Catholic. However, besides those who openly follow an animist religion (about 1%), there are numerous Senegalese who claim to be Muslims or Catholics. In reality they are also practicing in their traditional religions.
Unlike Christianity, Islam is perceived as a local religion because it uses congregations led by spiritual leaders and wise men who have religious roles. Christianity was met with great resistance because it was perceived as the religion of the conquerers and the elite -- a vehicle for 'modern western world' values and of French language and culture. Since the independence of the country, however, the Church in Senegal has increasingly become more African.
As Cardinal Théodore Adrien Sarr of Dakar says : "When people live in a secularized world, where the West increasingly loses the sense of religion, religious communities can say : ‘Maybe our mission is to promote moral and spiritual values and to remind other human beings that God exists and human beings are seeking God."
In our daily lives, it is the dialogue of life that creates deep relationships with the followers of Islam or of traditional religions, as we devote our lives to educate their children, to the promotion of women and to healing the sick.
Sister Laura Cantello, sfp
Congregational Councilor
Interfaith Dialogue at Clare’s Corner: Responding to the Challenges of Our Times
“We recognize that the path of healing is only possible when human
beings understand and deeply value each other."
Rose Aleman, Director of Young Adult Services, US Area
Multi-faith and multicultural communities are not only a fact of life, but also a marker of our times - worldwide. People of different faiths, cultures and races live side by side and struggle together with many of life’s challenges. Faced with this expanding reality, many Christian faith communities have started to reflect on their identity as it exists in relation to others and to creation as a whole.
When we decided to build community at Clare’s Corner in the soon-to-be renovated Centennial Barn, we wanted to create space where people of all faith traditions felt welcome and comfortable while nurturing their spirituality through learning and sharing. In order to accomplish this goal, we needed to get input from people of differing religious backgrounds. So we decided to form an interfaith spirituality group.
The first goal of this group is to learn about each other so that we can challenge and overcome stereotypes. While fully respecting and affirming each particular faith identity, the overall questions we explore include:
- How can we work together to build a mutually accountable society based on respect and cooperation?
- What steps can we take as we build community in order to keep away from the value orientations that exclude others?
We recognized that religion is both a theological ideal and a sociological entity. It is vulnerable to the realities and forces surrounding it. Excluding certain people, using discriminatory practices and language, asserting the interests of the dominant groups at the expense of others, displaying indifference to and ‘justifying’ unjust practices and traditions, abuse of power and victimizing dissenters are realities which make it necessary for the people of the church, temple or mosque to intervene -- as did the Apostle Paul (cf. 1. Cor. 11 and 12).
“We are sponsoring monthly adult play workshops. Each month will focus on a different play method, and the feelings of unity and joy it inspires. . ."
As a result of our discussions, we decided to create ongoing programs that allow people to nurture and connect to the greater spirit of community. Among our ‘commonalities’, we found that all children play, no matter what their religion or culture may be. And almost universally, as a person grows from child to adult, at some point they stop playing. And that easily accessible joy of childhood diminishes. To facilitate the rediscovery of that easily accessible joy, we are sponsoring monthly adult play workshops. Each month will focus on a different play method, and the feelings of unity and joy it inspires.
We are also hosting interfaith day retreats. They will be days of lectures, panels and workshops given by specialists from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Muslim communities. Reflection and sharing will occur within the panels, group discussions and workshops. We recognize that the path of healing is only possible when human beings understand and deeply value each other. These day retreats will encourage the recognition of the divinity and sacredness of sisters and brothers. The path to this sort of understanding is also paved by historical narratives and societal memories which take into consideration the perspective of the others.
As our new community builds around the gifts of its members, we hope that unity and inclusivity will be affirmed. We are at the beginning of this grand adventure!
[photo in this article used with permission]
All Roads Lead to the Same Mountain Top: Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue
Associate Arminda Maria Miranda Almeida and Roberto Almeida
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Ecumenical Liturgy for Peace after the International Folklore Festival
Ecumenical Meeting held on March 12 at Campus in Tangara da Serra, Mato Grosso, Brazil Today the call for ecclesial and religious pluralism is more intense in our being Church. and requires a spirit of dialogue with other religious traditions. The roads taken by this dialogue are a manifestation of this spirit.
Interreligious dialogue is also biblically grounded on the mission of Christ – with which he has entrusted his Church. Although religions do not enjoy salvific autonomy, “They perform a providential role in the economy of grace, as they collaborate in search of the truth, appealing to the correct intention, cultivating the virtues, and witness to the eternal destination of the human being while favoring the knowledge of God . . . ” says the Brazil Conference of Bishops (CNBB) Commission document.
It is not easy to express a religious thought without imposing an inner feeling. We tend to seek our inner peace; some think that it can be achieved through material goods, class status or a career. To speak of Christ in such a vast context in our society can cause us to be judged by those who have never experienced inner peace. It is within this context that we began to do a simple, reflective study on how great God’s power is over our lives.
The Church that we know was conceived by the will of the Son of Man, fully blessed by the Holy Spirit. Within the Church, many revolutions, renunciations, excesses, but above all, rebirths, have occurred. By moving beyond past setbacks, our Church has learned to lift again in a surprising way the truly important value of change in the evangelization of peoples.
Currently the major expression of this intense search for God among lay people lies in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. They have countless prayer groups, gatherings and different media outlets that convey the word of God and encourage inner change.
While a great movement in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue is happening, “masks” must be removed. Some groups still preach their superiority over others. Currently the Church seeks to achieve more openness among the various faiths by showing that “different paths lead to the same mountain top.” Praise, worship, miracles, all flow from the same God who wishes that God’s children be brothers and sisters in their faith.
The Franciscan Sisters of the Poor Chapter Direction — “Generating Compassion and Hope in the Community of Life” – is a response to this calling of the Church for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. We have tried to keep this article as impartial as possible, but it would be a heresy not to tell something about Roberto’s journey with Christ, above all regarding ecumenical and interreligious dialogue . . .
Roberto's Story
I am Roberto, a fervent Catholic and experience how God’s power has transformed my life, my actions, relationships and love of the other. A few years ago I met a lovely young woman, who changed my life in another way. I had always asked God to send me someone special to take care of my lonely heart, but God decided to respond abundantly.
This woman is a Pentecostal Christian and belongs to a conservative family. At first, I was reluctant to fall in love with her because I did not want to give up my religion for a relationship that was undefined. I began to participate in her worship services. My Catholic faith has never diminished nor have the values received in my “mother religion” changed.
I am proud to say that worship and praise are independent of the place, the people and pastors for our prayers to be answered. God is present everywhere and his blessings are bestowed upon those who seek God intensely.
I participate in a prayer group, go to Mass on Sundays, and accompany my girlfriend to her church. In all these places the search for inner peace has been met. God is in the place where we seek him, accessible to all. “The mountain top” is the same for each and all the paths followed.
Participating in the Charismatic Renewal is an intense ecumenical experience and brings a new sense to my life. It is a new way to see and relate with brothers and sisters in the constant search for the inner peace of Christ who struggled and died for us.
Time at Taizč: Broadening the Boundaries of the Human Family
“How can we bring the peace of Christ to everyone if we are separated?”
The Temporary Professed Sisters of the Italian Area
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Create opportunities to broaden the boundaries of the human family . . .This desire and passion are visible and tangible as we became part of the Taizè family -- though for a very short time. We, the Temporary Professed Sisters of the Italian Area, experienced this family during an intense week of dialogue and sharing from August 23-30. We were accompanied by Srs. Licia Mazzia and Marina Triglia, who oversee Formation for the Italian Area.
The ecumenical community in Taizè was born in France during the Second World War from the vision of a Protestant Swiss man, Frère Roger. He was inspired by the conviction that “Christians will be a force of peace within humanity only if they are reconciled among themselves.”
Many years later, Frère Roger wrote:
“My journey was deeply affected by the living witness of my grandmother. In following her, I found my identity as a Christian and reconciled within myself my faith with the mystery of Catholic faith without breaking communion with anyone.”
Today the Taizè community includes about one hundred monks that hail from about 30 nations, both Catholic and from various Christian denominations. They are a “parable of communion” and a tangible sign of reconciliation among Christians and people of different cultures.
“Our experience in Taizé makes us cry out to the world with greater conviction that it is possible to share our gifts among different Christian traditions.”
For us it was wonderful to open our eyes and hearts and feel that we are a tiny mosaic in this multicolored community of life, which is so close to our hearts because of our Chapter direction: “Generate compassion and hope in the community of life.” Getting together with thousands of young people from all continents and religious convictions, Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestant, and in the presence of God -- and listening to God’s Word in silence and praise, gave us the opportunity to express our gratitude. It gave us moments to reflect and to ask questions.
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Frère Roger wrote:
“In Christ, we belong to one another. When Christians are separated, the Gospel message cannot be heard... How can we respond to the new challenges in our society, especially those related to secularization and clashes among cultures, unless we gather the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are present in each Christian family? How can we bring the peace of Christ to everyone if we are separated?”
Our experience in Taizé makes us cry out to the world with greater conviction that it is possible to share our gifts among different Christian traditions. Each one of them sheds light on a different aspect of the mystery of our faith, and shows how great is the richness of the Churches in the various continents.
This sharing is already a reality here: we experienced it in praying together and in meeting each other at a personal level and growing in our mutual respect. This only increased our desire to commit ourselves to build unity and affirmed our conviction that what unites us is more important than what divides us. Our wish is that we may show all this through our own lives!
Copyright 2009 Franciscan Sisters of the Poor