Interreligious
Dialogue for Peace
Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae calls
for dialogue between faith and culture, between theology and other academic
disciplines, and between different religious traditions.
Francis
J. Buckley, S.J.
Dialogue implies open minds and hearts. It is not a debate, in which we try to
make our side win or look better. It is not an attempt to convert others to our
position or to prove our superiority in any way. It is not a series of
monologues in which we talk past each other and patiently wait our turn to speak
without really listening to what the others say.
Dialogue implies that we can all learn from one another. Underlying such an
attitude is the belief that God is infinitely knowable, that God is present
everywhere, that all human religious traditions contain something of truth and
value planted there by God, and that respect for God urges us to appreciate that
truth and value, take it into our own hearts, and be enriched by it. We all
must listen to the Spirit.
This is not merely my own private opinion. The Second Vatican Council, in its
Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions,
# 2, wrote, ⌠Through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other
religions, and in witness of Christian faith and life, acknowledge, preserve,
and promote the spiritual and moral goods found among them, as well as the
values in their society and culture.■ Hence Catholic Universities like the
University of San Francisco should try to make Jewish students better Jews,
Muslims better Muslims, Hindus better Hindus, Baptists better Baptists, and
Catholics better Catholics.
This calls for a paradigm shift from drawing boundaries, emphasizing
differences, pitting religions against one another as enemies, distinguishing
⌠us■ from ⌠them■, to envisioning a powerful magnetic force, drawing all persons
and institutions toward a mysterious center, and thus drawing them closer to one
another.
Fruitful dialogue will begin, not from abstract ideas, but from personal
experience. It will include respectful questions, looking for clarification. It
will lead to prayer and celebration. In a world fraught with injustice and
distrust, it will also lead to joint action, collaborating with our friends and
allies for justice and peace.
Dr. Martin Luther King embodied those ideals. He was a magnificent speaker.
Named after a Protestant reformer, he cited the Hindu pacifist Mahatma Gandhi,
the Hebrew prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel, as well as Jesus and Paul. A man of
prayer, he joined with people of many faiths to praise and worship God. A man
of action, he linked arms with religious leaders of many races to march for
freedom, justice, and peace. With the power and guidance of God he changed the
conscience and behavior of our nation and of much of the rest of the world. We
can follow his example today, tomorrow, and for the rest of time.