THE CHURCH AND
INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE
Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua
Dialogue being a divine
initiative becomes the mission of the Church for every Christ Faithful. The
Church has responded to this call to dialogue in a unique and official way. The
Second Vatican Council exhaustively discusses Inter-religious Dialogue in so
many documents among which we can mention the following:
- Nostra Aetate (Oct. 28, 1965)
- Lumen Gentium (Nov. 21, 1964) [1]
- Dignitatis Humanae (Dec. 7, 1965) [2]
- Ad Gentes (Dec. 7, 1965) [3]
- Gaudium et Spes (Dec. 7, 1965) [4]
- Apostolicam Actuositatem (Nov. 18, 1965)
- Christus Dominus (Oct. 28, 1965)
- Dei Verbum (Nov 18, 1965
- Gravissimum Educationis (Oct. 28, 1965)
- Inter Mirifica (Dec. 4, 1963
- Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Nov. 21, 1964)
- Optatam Totius(Oct. 28, 1965)
- Prefectae Caritatis (Oct. 28, 1965)
- Presbyterorum Ordinis (Dec. 7, 1965)
- Sacrosanctum Concilium (Dec. 4, 1963)
- Unitatis Redintegratio (Nov. 21, 1964)
Various Supreme Pontiffs (the Popes) have dedicated the
following Encyclical letters and Apostolic Exhortations to Inter-religious
Dialogue:
- Paul VI, Encyclical Letter: Ecclesiam Suam (1964)
- Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation: Evangelii Nunciandi (1975)
- John Paul II, Encyclical Letter: Redemptor Hominis (1979)
- John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation: Familiaris Consortio (1981)
- John Paul II, Encyclical Letter: Redemptoris Missio (1990)
- John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation: Ecclesia in Africa (1995)
- Benedict XVI, Apostolic Exhortation: Africae Munus (2011)
In the Code of Canon Law, Inter-religious
dialogue is articulated in canons 256, 364, 771, 787, 1059, 1086, 1142-1150
etc. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (published by the authority of
Pope John Paul II) alludes to Inter-religious Dialogue in numbers 839 -
856. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith & Affiliated Commission has the following documents on
Inter-religious Dialogue:
·
Dominus Jesus, (2000).
·
Doctrinal Note on Some
Aspects of Evangelization (2007).
The
International Theological Commission has published: Christianity and the
World Religions, (1997) and The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
has published: Collectanea Sacrae Congregationis de Propaganda Fide 1 (1907),
42-43
This is only
to show that dialogue is a Mission of the Church.
In this book, “Dialogue in Context”, Nostra Aetate, (“Declaration on the Relation of the Church
to Non-Christian Religions”) is a major reference. It is clear in Nostra
Aetate that : “We cannot truly pray to God the Father of all if we
treat any people in other than brotherly fashion, for all men are created in
God’s image” (n. 5). The work of Pope John Paul II, especially his call for
the
Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi on 27 October 1986
[5]
is well examined in this book. Pope John Paul II extended his peace drive
beyond humans to nature. In his Encyclical Letter, Centesimus Annus, He wrote: “Not only has God given the earth to man, who must
use it with respect for the original good purpose for which it was given to
him, but man too is God’s gift to man. He must therefore respect the natural
and moral structure with which he has been endowed.” This is to avoid natural disasters like the
tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004, hurricanes,
earthquakes, typhoons and droughts which can be caused by human recklessness
and lack of respect for the environmental laws.
At the beginning of his
Pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI reminded believers in the following words: “We are not some casual and meaningless
product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us
is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.[6] In
his Message for the World Day of Peace in 2007 he
reiterated: “As one created in the
image of God, each individual human being has the dignity of a person;
he or she is not just something, but someone, capable of self-knowledge,
self-possession, free self-giving and entering into communion with others.[7]
The Church continues to defend
the dignity of the human person even though this same creature, willed and
loved by the Creator, now finds herself living in the ‘desert’ of this world.
And there are so many kinds of ‘deserts’. There is the desert of rejection,
even before one is born, the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and
thirst, the desert of abandonment, of loneliness, of destroyed love. There is
the desert of God’s darkness, the emptiness of souls no longer aware of their
dignity or lacking any goal for their lives. The external deserts in the world
are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast.[8]
Indeed, for the desert to become green again, man has to be reconciled with God
and with the inner self.
In the reconciliation between person and person, St John writes
to Christians: “Whoever says, ‘I am in
the light’ while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness” (1
John 2:9). Regarding violence in different places and at different levels, Pope
Benedict XVI made this appeal at a traditional Christian prayer: “In the world there is too much violence, too much injustice, and therefore
that this situation cannot be overcome except by countering it with more love, with more goodness. This ‘more’ comes from
God: it is his mercy which was made flesh in Jesus and which alone can ‘tip the
balance’ of the world from evil to good, starting with that small and decisive
“world” which is the human heart”[9].
He has been repeatedly saying that dialogue cannot be reduced to an optional
extra. He wrote in his message for the XXth anniversary of the first Assisi
Meeting in 1986… Peace is not something only to be sought in
halls of government, but also in the halls of our synagogues, our churches, our
mosques, our temples, our pagodas, our gurudwaras,
our atash berhrams, our schools, our
workplaces, our homes and most importantly in our hearts” [10]
Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue (PCID)
On Pentecost Sunday, 1964, Pope
Paul VI instituted a special Department of the Roman Curia for relations with
the people of other religions. It was known at first as the Secretariat for
Non Christians. With the administrative reforms introduced by Pope John
Paul II in the document Pastor bonus, the
Secretariat for Non-Christians was renamed
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in 1988.[11]
The presidents
of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue since the creation
are:[12]
|
S/N
|
President
|
Took office
|
Left office
|
|
1
|
19 May 1964
|
26 February 1973
|
|
|
2
|
6 March 1973
|
15 June 1980
|
|
|
3
|
27 Jun 1980
|
8 April 1984
|
|
|
4
|
8 April 1984
|
1 October 2002
|
|
|
5
|
1 October 2002
|
15 February 2006
|
|
|
6
|
11 March 2006
|
1 September 2007
|
|
|
7
|
1 September 2007
|
incumbent
|
The Pontifical Council for
Inter-religious Dialogue (PCID) is the central office of the Catholic Church
for the promotion of Inter-religious Dialogue in accordance with the spirit of
the Second Vatican Council, in particular the declaration "Nostra
Aetate". It has the following responsibilities:
·
To promote mutual
understanding, respect and collaboration between Catholics and the followers of
other religious traditions
·
To encourage the study of
religions
·
To promote the formation of
persons dedicated to dialogue.
The PCID does not have
responsibility for Christian-Jewish relations. These are the competence of the
Commission for religious Relations with Jews, which comes under the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Dialogue is a two-way communication. It
implies speaking and listening, giving and receiving, for mutual growth and
enrichment. It includes witness to one's own faith as well as openness to that
of the other. It is not a betrayal of mission of the Church, nor is it a new
method of conversion to Christianity. This has been clearly stated in the
encyclical letter of Pope John Paul II "Redemptoris Missio".
This view is also developed in the two documents produced by the PCID.
Although the PCID is the central
office for dialogue in the Catholic Church, dialogue is mainly carried out in
and through the Local Churches. Many Local Churches have dialogue commissions,
at the national or regional level. The PCID works in close collaboration with
these, and encourages their formation where they do not yet exist. The
ecumenical dimension of interreligious dialogue is kept in mind. The PCID has
an ongoing relationship with the corresponding office in the World Council of
Churches (WCC). The PCID restricts itself to religious questions. Its brief
does not extend to socio-political issues. The Roman Curia has various
departments, each with its own specific competence. Broader issues are discussed
in inter-departmental meetings. The PCID has a Structure that the Local Churches
can emulate. This is briefly summarized:
Decision-making body: this is composed
of the Members of the Council, about 30 in number, Cardinals and Bishops, from
different parts of the world. Every two or three years a Plenary Assembly is
held in order to discuss important issues and to set guidelines for the work of
the Council.
Advisory body: the PCID has about 50
advisors, called Consultors, specialists in religious studies or in the
practice of interreligious dialogue, residing in all continents. They assist
the PCID through their research, information and suggestions. Periodically
meetings of Consultors are held, often on a continental level.
Executive body: the permanent staff in
Rome made up of President, Secretary, Under-Secretary, bureau chief for Islam,
staff members for Africa and Asia, a staff member for New Religious movements,
an administrative assistant and support staff.
The PCID receives many visits
from religious leaders. They are invited to dialogue with staff members. Where
appropriate, Audiences are arranged with His Holiness the Pope. There are also
meetings with bishops coming to Rome for their five-yearly "ad
limina" visits, and with other groups of visitors. The President and the
Secretary visit local Churches to become more familiar with the local situation
and to encourage dialogue. On these occasions they visit leaders of other
religions and different institutions in order to promote better understanding
and collaboration. The Council organizes dialogue meetings, or more often
participates in such meetings organized by other bodies, at regional, national
or international levels. These meetings may be bilateral or multilateral.
A
number of books and pamphlets have been published on different aspects of
interreligious dialogue. The Council usually publishes the Acts of the dialogue
meetings it organizes. A bulletin, called "Pro Dialogo", is
published regularly three times a year, containing significant Church texts on
dialogue, articles, and news of dialogue activities throughout the world. An
Interreligious Dialogue Directory has also been published.
The PCID has a special commission for relations with
Muslims: The Commission for Religious
Relations with Muslims (C.R.R.M). This is composed of a President,
Vice-President and Secretary, and has a small group of eight Consultors. It
engages in studies on different aspects of Christian-Muslim relations. This Pontifical Commission for Religious
Relations with Muslims
is affiliated with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the
President of the Council is President also of that Pontifical Commission.
The
entirely separate Pontifical
Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews reports to
the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, and is headed by the Cardinal President of that
Pontifical Council, Kurt Koch. The PCID has set up a
Foundation (Nostra Aetate) whose purpose is to promote dialogue,
mainly by according grants to people of other religious who wish to study
Christianity. [13]
Dialogue in the Nigeria Context
In 1989, Bishop Albert Ayide
Fasina, Catholic Diocese of Ijebu Ode was appointed Chairman of Inter-religious
Dialogue of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Anglophone West Africa
(AECAWA). Consequently, he became the pioneer Episcopal Chairman of
Inter-religious dialogue in the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
He was able to reach out to experts like Fr. Joseph Kenny Op, to facilitate the
work of Dialogue in West Africa and Nigeria. He encouraged the Nigerian Bishops
to appoint Directors of Inter-religious Dialogue in every Diocese to ensure
that the message of dialogue reaches every part of Nigeria. In this way, the
Church in Nigeria began to respond to the call to dialogue in the context of
the mandate of the Universal Church. [14]
In 2002, the department of
Mission and Dialogue was created as a unique way the Church in Nigeria
responded to the mandate of the Second Vatican Council that dialogue is not an
option. Bishop Bagobiri was the Chairman of the department followed by
Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso and John Niyiring (the incumbent chairman of the
department). The following have emerged as chairmen of the committee of
ecumenical dialogue: Bishop Lucius Ugorji, Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins
and Bishop Charles Hammawa (the incumbent chairman). The following have emerged
as chairmen for the committee for Inter-religious dialogue: Bishop George Dodo,
Bishop Niyinring and Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah (the incumbent chairman). Msgr.
Hypolite A. Adigwe was the first director of the department. He worked with Fr.
John Uba Ofei, Fr. Andrew Danjuma and Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua as secretaries
successively. Msgr. Adigwe handed over to Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua as director
of the department. Now Sr. Anne Falola is the secretary of the Episcopal
Mission Committee while Sylvia Nwobodo is the departmental secretary.
The department coordinates and
facilitates activities of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference in the area of
mission and formation of Nigerian Catholics. The department promotes ecumenical
dialogue within the Christian family and dialogue with other religious bodies.
Thus the department operates under the committees of Mission, Ecumenism and
Inter- Religious Dialogue.
·
Mission
Committee: Focuses on animation of priests, religious and laity to create
awareness for full participation of the people of God in the universal mission
of the Church. It operates with a National missionary Council which draws its
membership from the clergy, Religious and laity. It coordinates the missionary
activities of the dioceses and religious congregations, especially in the area
of the mission ad gentes sending out
missionaries to other dioceses and countries. It also collaborates with the
Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in line with the recommendations of “Cooperatio Missionalis” (Instructions of
the Congregation for the evangelization of peoples on Missionary Cooperation).
·
Committee
on Ecumenism: Promotes Christian unity at human, social, political and
religious areas. It aims at bringing the various Christian denominations in the
country together to study and understand each other better, work together in
identifying areas of agreement and deepening them, while seeking solutions to
areas of disagreement.
·
Committee
on Dialogue: The Committee for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Department
of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria seeks to
interact with other believers, especially of the African Traditional Religion
and the Islamic Religion. Attempts are made to build bridges and to recognize
and act as people who believe in the supremacy of God, to cooperate in the
promotion of the good of all in Nigeria, and to cultivate the culture of
respect for other people’s religion. The Committee helps dioceses, parishes and
Religious congregations in their own efforts at dialogue with other religious
bodies at the local level.
The National Think Tank for Inter-religious Dialogue was
inaugurated on Wednesday 20th August 2008 at the Conference Hall of
the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja by Bishop George Dodo who was then
the Episcopal Chairman for Inter-religious Dialogue. The Episcopal Committee
for Inter-religious dialogue is the central body of the Catholic Church in
Nigeria for the promotion of inter-religious dialogue in accordance with the
spirit of the Second Vatican Council in general and Nostra aetate in particular. The function of the Think Tank is to
assist the Bishops of the Committee on Dialogue in many areas especially in:
- Monitoring and identifying potential hot spots for brewing religious intolerance and violence.
- Preventing and managing Conflict.
- Supporting people that are marginalized because of their religious identity through Advocacy and capacity building.
- Advising and empowering for the provision of legal protection for those suffering from religiously motivated violence.
- Investigating and reporting on religious tension
- Working out strategies for collaboration in the support of human dignity and for the freedom of religion.
- Advising the CBCN as appropriate.
To fulfil this function, the
Think Tank networks with other relevant bodies and draws on the advice and
insights of Catholics who are experts in the theory and practice of
inter-religious relations particularly here in Nigeria. Through sharing their
research, information and suggestions these experts help to draw up concrete
and solid action plans. These action plans are implemented by different working
committees.
To take the work of dialogue to the grass roots, the provincial
coordinator in every province and the diocesan director in every diocese
coordinate the work of Inter-religious dialogue. The department of Mission and
Dialogue organizes seminars and workshops every year for all the directors of
Inter-religious dialogue and ecumenism. The department visited all the provinces
in the country to animate the directors and Inter-religious Dialogue committees
on the meaning and need for dialogue at all levels. The department has also
visited some Major Seminaries in the country to organize workshops for the
formators and teachers of Dialogue, Ecumenism, Mission, and African Traditional
Religion. The major seminarians also took part in this exercise.
Dialogue is one of the many ways of achieving peace and managing
conflicts. This is even reflected in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist: Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your
apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on
the faith of your Church and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where
you live for ever and ever. The Diocesan Directors of Inter-religious
Dialogue and Ecumenism are thus sent to continue this work by forming
structures in the dioceses that will make our nation a land where peace flows
like a river. In all these efforts, the
role of the Women Religious is indispensable hence we often recommend that the
Women Religious and the Catholic Women should be involved in this mission of
dialogue given the fact that it is easier for them to reach the women of other
religions.
The essays in
this book have been read by many bishops and experts in various fields. They
contribute to the effort to reach people nationally and globally through the
print media. Every week each of the articles were published in Guardian, Sunday
Trust, Pilot and all the dioceses that have either weekly or monthly
newspapers. Some of these articles are also published in Fountain Magazine in
Turkey and many web sites on the internet. The reactions we got from some of
the Readers are key indicators that we are in touch with the world through this
means of dialogue. Today, a lot of research fellows visit the office of the
Department of Mission and Dialogue to look for research materials for their
Ph.D dissertations. This contributes to the reasons why these essays are
published as a book to serve as a reference book.
The essays in
this book cover a wide rage of issues in Nigeria and the rest of the world.
Some of the conferences like Aburi conference in Ghana and the lessons Nigeria
could learn therefrom are reflected in this book. Each of the essays is short
for easy reading. The principles and dynamics of dialogue are disussed in this
book. It is my prayer that those who read this book may not end in mere
acquisition of knowledge but to practically go into the field to work for
justice, peace, love and mutual coexistence to make our world a better place to
live in.
Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu
Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat
of Nigeria, Abuja; and Consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with
Muslims (C.R.R.M), Vatican City (comonokhua@hotmail.com).
[1] LG, Numbers: 1, 13, 16, 17 and 48
[2] DH, Numbers 2-4
[3] AG Numbers 3, 7-11, 13, 15-16, 18, 21-22, 26, 34, 38, and 40-41
[4] GS Numbers 22, 42, 45,
57-58, 73, 76 and 92
[6] Pope Benedict XVI, Homily of His Holiness Benedict XVI at
the Inaugural Mass at the beginning of
his Pontificate held at St. Peter’s Square on 24 April 2005.
[7] Pope Benedict XVI, World Day of Peace 2007, n. 2.
[8] Pope Benedict XVI, Homily of His Holiness Benedict XVI on 24
April 2005.
[9] Benedict XVI, Angelus Reflection for Sunday,
18 February 2007.
[10] Pro Dialogo, 123, 2006/3, p. 322-323
[11] Chidi Denis Isizoh, Cardinal
Francis Arinze: The Church Pathfinder of Dialogue and Communion, (Onitsha, Trinitas
Publications, 2013) Page 41
[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontifical_Council_for_Interreligious_Dialogue
[13]http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/rc_pc_interelg_pro_20051996_en.html.
This discusion on the PCID is not my personal work and it is not exhaustive. It
is only included here to give the readers an idea of what the Council is about.
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