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Opportunities and limits of the dialogue between religions
Cardinal Franz König
In the period between the two World Wars the expression "Religious Dialogue" or "Dialogue between Religions" surfaced at various conferences and congresses in order to bridge or to overcome mutual misunderstandings and prejudices between religions. Already a hundred years ago, in 1893, in connection with the World Fair in Chicago, a first "World Parliament of Religions" took place. Representatives of the great religions of Asia and India met with Christians in America in order to seek a peaceful mutual understanding. At that time Buddhists and Hindus from the Far East aroused universal interest in "Eastern Spirituality" in America. The idea of a World Parliament of Religions continued to develop and during the following decades colloquiums and conferences of religions took place fairly regularly on all continents. At that time it was said that the world religions, the great religions, should not compete with each other but should consider each other as brothers. However in Europe interest in the encounter of separated Christians stood in the foreground.
After the first world war, probably under the influence of that catastrophe, the German, Rudolf Otto, had created a "Religious Alliance of Humanity". The historian of religions, Friedrich Heiler, stressed the necessity for religions to co-operate with each other. The Oxford Movement and Moral Rearmament were more intent to promote moral values through separated Christians working together. In any case tolerance and solidarity of Christians of different denominations as also of the great religions were to strengthen convictions of peace and co-operation among the nations. It was hoped that a better future would result through increased tolerance and mutual understanding of religious differences.
However the expression "Dialogue of Religions", which was influenced by the philosophical ideas of existentialism of the twenties, became a key notion of our times only after the Second World War. It was not only the experience of this war or of the great political and social changes that ensued, but the fact that a different epoch had come into being that resulted in the realisation that transformations could not be achieved through politics and the legal system alone. A reform of conditions would not suffice; a change of heart, renewed convictions, an inner conversion was necessary.
New Initiatives
The concern of the World Conferences of Religions in the first half of the twentieth century was above all to prevent mutual tensions and pugnacious disputes between religions thereby to strengthen the forces of peace in the world.
The Second Vatican Council had a decisive influence on the use of the word "Dialogue" in general and "Dialogue of Religions" in particular (cf. M. Eliade, Encyclopedia of Religion IV 1987, p.344 ff.). This became clear in the texts of this Church Assembly (1962-65), especially through the official Declaration on the Relation of the Church to non-Christian Religions (Nostra Aetate). The Council's desire to deal in friendly terms, not only with the question of the Church's relations with the Jews, but subsequently also with all other Religions, found expression there in a positive manner. Even before the beginning of the Council John XXIII had intended to re-think the relationship of the Church towards the Jews. It was this theme that gave the impulse (which was too little considered) to do the same also for the relationship with the other religions - the non-Christian Religions.
Originally only a "Declaration" against anti-semitism was envisaged, to be inserted at the end of the Decree on Ecumenism, which was in preparation. However the difficulties which then arose led to the other and better solution - to integrate the relationship of the Church to the Jews within the larger context of the relationship with other religions. I personally think that otherwise there would not have been a document Nostra Aetate at all. In any case for the first time the Dialogue between Religions became one of the great themes of the Council. Recently Pope John Paul II said "At no other Council did one speak with such clarity of the unity of Christians (i.e. the Ecumenical Dialogue), of the Dialogue with non-Christian Religions (i.e. the inter-religious Dialogue), of the significance of the Old Covenant and the People of Israel (i.e. the Relationship of the Church to the Jews), of the dignity of personal conscience and of religious freedom..." (Apostolic letter "On the Threshold of the Third Millennium" November 1994).
The readiness of the Catholic Church to arrive at a new dialogical relationship with other religions and ideologies is clearly evident from the following sentence of the conciliar text, Nostra Aetate No.2:
The Church, therefore, urges her members to enter with prudence and charity into discussion and collaboration with members of other religions. Let Christians, 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.
And in another document of the Council (Ad gentes No.11) we read:
The disciples of Christ through sincere and patient dialogue should learn of the riches which a generous God has distributed among the nations.
In his first encyclical (Ecclesiam Suam, 1964) Pope Paul VI drew attention, in the context of the second Vatican Council, to a new dialogical relationship of the Church towards the world of today. Just as God began the great dialogue of salvation with humanity through God's revelation, so human beings should also continue this among themselves.
Three Vatican Secretariats for Promoting Dialogue
It was Paul VI who deliberately took the necessary steps to establish three Secretariats (subsequently Pontifical Councils) so that dialogue as the Council understood it, should be inserted as permanent mission in the Vatican and pursued. Thus it is the mission of the first Secretariat, The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to put into effect the teaching of the Decree on Ecumenism of the Council, the first sentence of which says: "The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council." For historical reasons a special sub-commission for continuing the dialogue with the Jews is attached to this Secretariat. In 1966 an "Office for Catholic-Jewish Relations" was set up within the Secretariat. In the past years this office has published several documents with guidelines and suggestions for practical use. It is a special interest of John Paul II to further explain and clarify the relationship of the Church to the Jews which was newly regulated by the Council. After his historic visit to the Synagogue of Rome (1986) he referred to the different aspects of the Jewish-Christian relationship in a number of declarations. In a recently published declaration of the "International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee" there is the sentence: Both sides are convinced, "that after two thousand years of estrangement and enmity Catholics and Jews have the holy obligation to further an authentic atmosphere of mutual esteem and interest."
The results of the specific Jewish-Christian dialogue have become a sign of hope also for the universal dialogue of religions; that is a sign of hope also for other religions, races and ethnic groups, that they too will move from mutual contempt to authentic mutual esteem. This new spirit of friendship and concern for one another is perhaps the most important symbol or sign which we can see today in a world of unrest and disorder.
In accordance with a suggestion of the Council, Paul VI set up in 1964 a second secretariat, Pontifical Council, for the dialogue with non-Christian religions. Its task is to understand such relations and promote them as far as is possible. A subcommission attached to this secretariat has the task to inaugurate the dialogue with Islam and to pursue it. The dialogue of this secretariat, that is the inter-religious dialogue, must be clearly distinguished from the dialogue of the first secretariat which is responsible for the ecumenical dialogue.
The intent of the ecumenical dialogue is to understand the lost unity of separated Christians in a new way, in order to come closer to this unity in a historical process. This is especially recommended for all separated Christians for two reasons: on the one hand because of secularisation and religious indifference all Christians encounter the same difficulties and this calls for a working together. Secondly, through the growing number of sects and their methods of advertising all Christians again encounter the same difficulties.
Thus the conciliar document Nostra Aetate has brought clarification to the notion of Dialogue and has led to some important practical steps.
Even before the end of the Second Vatican Council (April 1964) a third secretariat (a Pontifical Council) was set up for Non-Believers. Today it is call Pontifical Commission for the Inter-cultural Dialogue.
All three forms of dialogue, as they resulted from the above named Pontifical secretariats or councils, have enriched the religious dialogue on European and Continental levels to an important degree; a new atmosphere of peaceful co-existence has resulted. Given the historical background of religious wars in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries this is a great achievement.
Progress and Obstacles
The Second Vatican Council must be seen in the context of a historical process. Certainly there was great resistance and many difficulties to surmount at this time. On the one hand there was the mistrust, the concern, of those who feared that through such a dialogue of religions the content of belief would be changed - consciously or unconsciously - and that thus the danger of a general relativisation of religious content would be the result. As against such a "conservative" religious attitude there was however also a "liberal" one, which consciously expected a change or adaptation of the faith content of fundamental religious ideas.
Moreover, there was also the influence of the comparative science of religions, of history of religions and of sociology of religions, which showed similar relativising tendencies: i.e. the belief in a supreme being is common to all religions and all else is subordinate to this, as different ways to the same goal.
Looking back today we can see that religious dialogue leads to a change in the person but not in belief; it leads to a change of mentality and way of thinking. It is not the content of faith that must be changed but the mentality of persons towards other religions and ideologies. People are the same in all religions and a fundamental religious interest also unities people together. This is described in the following way by the Second Vatican Council:
Men look to their different religions for an answer to the unsolved riddles of human existence. The problems that weigh heavily on the hearts of men are the same today as in the ages past. What is man? What is the meaning and purpose of life? ... What is the ultimate mystery, beyond human explanation, which embraces our entire existence, from which we take our origin and towards which we tend?
Seen from such a point of view co-operation of members of different religions in social and political domains is possible without any special difficulty.
Even today the great religions of the world are conscious of the fact that they can realise a common service for peace among the nations, for peace in the world. It is for this reason that a "World Conference of Religions for Peace" has already been founded. The first of these conferences was held in Kyoto, Japan about 20 years ago, the motive at that time was the great danger to world peace through atomic armament. Since then the representatives of the great religions come together regularly in order to be active for peace.
Recently (November 1994) such a "World Conference of Religions for Peace" was held in Rome and in Riva del Garda. The invitation to this 6th conference stood under the motto "To Heal the World - Religions for Peace". John Paul II himself participated as Pope at the opening of this conference. In his speech he showed that human dignity has an important place in all religious traditions and is therefore a common good. He said "Religions cannot be and also they must not become a pretext for conflicts." The Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Churches and the General Secretary of the World Muslim League were also present at this opening.
To the great surprise of many, John Paul II had already adopted this interest many years previously (1986). In October 1986 he had invited the representatives of the great religions to pray for world peace in Assisi. At that meeting John Paul II emphasised that in our times the securing of the menaced peace of the world and its public demonstration through prayer must be the new and common task of religions. Prayer is the foundation of every religion and directs all towards God and God's Kingdom. However this is a kingdom of truth and of life, of justice, of love and of peace. The prayer of religious people from all continents should show this direction as a new way of understanding of people. Such a way - different from the arena of great world politics - should bring about a change of the disposition of the heart.
To conclude: Just as dialogue in general fosters mutual trust and can prevent misunderstandings, so the dialogue between religions, both as ecumenical and inter-religious, brings new possibilities for lessening tensions and oppositions between religions and indeed for recognising their special service of peace.
The dialogue between religions, especially that of the three monotheistic religions, is of crucial importance for the construction of a new Europe. However the limits and possibilities of dialogue lie in the persons themselves. It does not serve to discuss the theory of dialogue if people are not led to the exercise of dialogue in their differences.
Cardinal Franz König studied and taught World Religions. He was archbishop of the diocese of Vienna from 1956 to 1985 and was created Cardinal in 1958. From 1965 untill 1980 he was president of the Pontifical Commission for the Inter-cultural Dialogue. He is known and respected throughout the world and has published widely
