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Inter-religious Relations

Participating in interfaith dialogue, fostering understanding and cooperation among diverse religious traditions.

Inter-religious Relations
God’s word Inter-religious Relations

A meeting of people of differing religions in an atmosphere of mutual respect, freedom and openness in order to listen to the other, to try to understand that person’s religion, and hopefully to seek possibilities of collaboration.

The terms Inter-religious or Interfaith are used quite frequently these days and refer to the dialogues and shared activities that happen between members of the world’s great faith traditions such as:

  • Buddhism
  • Christianity
  • Hinduism
  • Islam
  • Judaism

For the sake of world peace, it is becoming increasingly more important that these dialogues take place.

The Catholic Church recognises the importance of this dialogue.

The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions. It has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and doctrines which, although differing in many ways from its own teaching, nevertheless often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men and women… The church, therefore, urges its sons and daughters to enter with prudence and charity into discussion and collaboration with members of other religions.

(Second Vatican Council: Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, Nostra Aetate, 28 October 1965 #2)

The Archdiocese of Brisbane shows its commitment to inter-religious relations in a number of ways:

Goals For Interfaith Dialogue

  • To recognize the vast richness and to appreciate what is true, noble and good in each religious tradition with intellectual honesty and spiritual generosity and hospitality.
  • To authentically witness to our Catholic faith and work in collaboration with other religious traditions against oppression, injustice and division in our world.
  • To share together both the content of our faith and the values of our respective traditions.
  • To listen and discern together the voice of God speaking through different people in today’s world.
  • To help one another to become more closely conformed to the path God has indicated to each of us and thus grow closer to God in the practice of active goodness.
  • To ponder together not only the mystery of the religious quest but also our response to divine revelation made concrete by the historic religions and to deal meaningfully with the great questions of the world, human life and God.
  • To turn our hearts to God and be reconciled with our brothers and sisters of other religious traditions.

Inter-Religious Dialogue is

  • A meeting of people of differing religions in an atmosphere of mutual respect, freedom and openness in order to listen to the other, to try to understand that person’s religion, and hopefully to seek possibilities of collaboration. It is hoped that each partner will reciprocate, because dialogue should be marked by mutual sharing and not a one-way movement. Reciprocity is in the nature of dialogue. It involves give and take. It implies both receptivity and active communication.
  • Listening is one of the first acts of dialogue. Willingness to listen implies appreciation of what the other person is, believes, prays or lives. Sometimes the most direct road to a person’s heart and trust is simply to listen, to ask questions for clarification and to seek to understand.

(Adapted from Meeting other Believers, Cardinal Arinze p.4)

Inter-Religious Dialogue is not

  • The same as the study of the various religions and a comparison of them, although such a discipline is important and useful.
  • A debate between followers of various religions, no matter how friendly.
  • A dialogue encounter where one is trying to prove oneself right and the other believer wrong.
  • The same as ecumenism because ecumenism refers to unity in plurality among Christians.
  • An effort to persuade the other person to ‘convert’ to one’s own religion, although we cannot deny to any believer the right to wish to share one’s religion with another.

(Adapted from Meeting other Believers, Cardinal Arinze p.4)

Contact

For further information regarding ecumenism within the Archdiocese of Brisbane contact:

Margaret Naylon
Executive Officer, Council for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Relations
GPO Box 282,
Brisbane Queensland 4001

Ph: 07 3324 3453
Email: ecum@bne.catholic.net.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ecumenisminterfaith/