The Attitude of the Church

toward Followers of Other Religions :

Reflections and Orientations
on Dialogue and Mission

Secretariat for Non-Christians, (May 10, 1984)

INTRODUCTION

1. A New Stage
The Second Vatican Council has marked a new landmark in the
relations of the Church with the followers of other religions. Many
Conciliar documents made explicit reference to them, and one in
particular, the declaration Nostra Aetate, is entirely dedicated to "the
relations between the Catholic Church and non-Christian religions."

2. A Changing World
The rapid changes in the world and the deepest consideration of
the mystery of the Church as "the universal sacrament of salvation" (LG
48) have fostered this attitude toward non-Christian religions. "Thanks to
the opening made by the Council, the Church and all Christians have
been able to come to a more complete awareness of the mystery of
Christ" (RH 11).

3. The Ideal of “Dialogue”

This new attitude has taken the name of dialogue. Dialogue is both
the norm and ideal, made known to the Church by Paul VI in the
encyclical Ecclesiam Suam (August 6, 1964). Since that time, it has been
frequently used by the Council as well as in other Church teachings. It
means not only discussion, but also includes all positive and constructive
interreligious relations with individuals and communities of other faiths
which are directed at mutual understanding and enrichment.

4. The Vatican Secretariat

As an institutional sign of this desire to meet and relate to the
followers of other religious traditions of the world, the same Pope Paul
VI instituted, on Pentecost 1964, in the climate of the Second Vatican
Council, the Secretariat for Non-Christians as an organism distinct from
the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Its
competence was defined in the constitution Regimini Ecclesiae: "To
search for methods and ways of opening a suitable dialogue with non-
Christians. It should strive, therefore, in order that non-Christians come
to be known honestly and esteemed justly by Christians, and that in their
turn non-Christians can adequately know and esteem Christian doctrine
and life" (n. 99).

5. Twenty Years of Experience

Today, twenty years after the publication of Ecclesiam Suam and
its own foundation, the Secretariat, gathered in plenary assembly, has
evaluated the experiences of dialogue which are occurring everywhere in
the Church. It has reflected on the Church's attitudes toward other
believers, and especially on the relationship which exists between
dialogue and mission.

6. A Special Document
The theological vision of this document is inspired by the Second
Vatican Council and the subsequent Magisterium. A further in-depth
study by theologians remains both desirable and necessary. Drawn from
and enriched by experience, this reflection is mainly pastoral in character
and encourages behavior formed by the Gospel in its encounters with
believers of other faiths with whom Christians live in the city, at work,
and in the family.

7. Support Materials for Christian Communities

This document, therefore, is proposed in order to help Christian
communities and especially their leaders to live according to the
directives of the Council. It offers elements of a solution to the
difficulties which can arise from the duties of evangelization and
dialogue which are found together in the mission of the Church. Through
this document, the members of other religions might also come to
understand better how the Church , views them and how it intends to
behave toward them.

8. Ecumenical Spirit
Many Christian churches have had similar experiences in their
encounters with other believers. Within the ambit of its Unit I on "Faith
and Witness," the World Council of Churches has a sub-unit for
"Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologies.'' With this latter
body, the Secretariat for Non-Christians has stable and fraternal contacts
of consultation and collaboration.

1. MISSION
9. God's Salvific Love
God is love (1 Jn 4:8,16). This saving love of God has been
revealed and communicated to mankind in Christ and is present and
active throughout the world by means of the Holy Spirit. The Church is
the living sign of that love in such a way as to render it the norm of life
for all. This mission, Christ's own, is one of love because in him it finds
its source, goal, and way of proceeding (cf. AG 2-5,12; EN 26). Each
aspect and activity of the Church's mission must therefore be imbued
with the spirit of love if it is to be faithful to Christ who commanded the
mission and continues to make it possible throughout history.

10. The Church, a Messianic People

The Church, as the Council has stressed, is a messianic people, a
visible assembly and spiritual community, and a pilgrim people who go
forward together with all of mankind with whom they share the human
experience. They ought to be the leaven and "soul" for society as it is to
be renewed in Christ and transformed into the family of God (cf. LG 9;
GS 9, 40). This messianic people has loved us and has as its goal the
kingdom of God, which was already begun by Christ (LG 9). The pilgrim
Church is therefore "missionary by its very nature" (AG 2, cf. nn. 6, 35-
36). For every Christian, the missionary duty is the normal expression of
his lived faith.

11. The Mission of the Church

"The mission of the Church is carried out by means of that activity
through which, in obedience to Christ's command and moved by the
grace and love of the Holy Spirit, the Church makes itself fully present to
all persons and peoples..." (AG 5). The task is one but comes to be
exercised in different ways according to the conditions in which mission
unfolds. "These circumstances sometimes depend on the Church itself,
sometimes on the peoples, groups or individuals to whom the mission is
directed.... The appropriate actions or tools must be brought to bear on
any given circumstance or situation.... The special end of this missionary
activity is evangelization and the foundation of the Church among
peoples or groups in which it has not yet taken root" (AG 6). Other
passages of the same Council have stressed that the mission of the
Church is also to work for the extension of the kingdom and its values
among all men and women (cf. LG 5, 9, 35; GS 39-45, 91, 92; UR 2; DH
14; AA 5).

12. Ways and Aspects of the Mission

The different aspects and manners of mission have been broadly
delineated by the Second Vatican Council. The acts and documents of
subsequent ecclesiastical teaching, such as the Bishops' Synod on Social
Justice (1971) and those dedicated to evangelization (1974) and
catechetics (1977), the numerous addresses of Pope Paul VI and John
Paul II, and statements of the episcopal conferences of Asia, Africa and
Latin America have developed various aspects of conciliar teaching,
adding, for example, "as an essential element of the mission of the
Church and indissolubly connected to it" (RH 15), the commitment to
mankind, to social justice, to liberty and the rights of man, and the reform
of unjust social structures.

13. Unified and Complex Reality

Mission is thus presented in the consciousness of the Church as a
single but complex and articulated reality. Its principal elements can be
mentioned. Mission is already constituted by the simple presence and
living witness of the Christian life (cf. EN 21), although it must be
recognized that "we bear this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Co 4:7).
Thus the difference between the way the Christian appears existentially
and that which he declares himself to be is never fully overcome. There is
also the concrete commitment to the service of mankind and all forms of
activity for social development and for the struggle against poverty and
the structures which produce it. Also, there is liturgical life and that of
prayer and contemplation, eloquent testimonies to a living and liberating
relationship with the active and true God who calls us to his kingdom and
to his glory (cf. Acts 2:42). There is, as well, the dialogue in which
Christians meet the followers of other religious traditions in order to walk
together toward truth and to work together in projects of common
concern, Finally, there is announcement and catechesis in which the good
news of the Gospel is proclaimed and its consequences for life and
culture are analyzed. The totality of Christian mission embraces all these
elements.

14. The Task of All

 Every local Church is responsible for the totality of mission.
Moreover, every Christian, by virtue of his faith and baptism, is called to
carry out to some degree the whole mission of the Church. The needs of
the situation, the particular position of the people of God, and an
individual's personal charism dispose the Christian to direct his efforts
principally to one or another aspect of that mission.

15. The Example of Christ

The life of Jesus contains all the elements of mission. In the
Gospels, Jesus is shown in silence, in action, in prayer, in dialogue, and
in teaching. His message is inseparable from his deeds; he announces
God and his reign not only by word but by his deeds and works which
complete his preaching. Accepting contradiction, failure, and death, his
victory passes through the gift of life. Everything in him is a means and
way of revelation and salvation (cf. EN 6-12); everything is the
expression of his love (cf. Jn 3:16; 13:1; 1 Jn 4:7-19). Christians ought to
act in the same way: "By this will they know that you are my disciples, if
you have love for one another" (Jn 13:35).

16. The Early Church

Moreover, the New Testament gives a composite, yet
differentiated picture of mission. There is a plurality of services and
functions which arise from a variety of charisms (cf. 1 Co 12:28-30; Ep
4:11-12; Rm 12:6-8). St. Paul himself noted the particular character of
his missionary vocation when he declared that he was not sent by Christ
to baptize but to announce the Gospel (1 Co 1:17). For this reason,
alongside the "apostles," the "prophets," and the "evangelists," we find
those who are called to deeds for the community and for the assistance of
those who suffer. There are the tasks of families, of husbands, of wives,
and of children. There are the duties of masters and servants. Each person
has a task of particular witness in society. The First Letter of Peter, sent
to Christians living in situations of diaspora, gives indications which
never cease to surprise by their relevance for today. A passage of this
letter was cited by Pope John Paul II in 1979, to the Catholic community
of Ankara as "the golden rule of contacts between Christians and their
fellow citizens of other faiths: 'Revere the Lord Christ in your hearts, and
always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the
hope which is in you. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a
clear conscience'" (1 P 3:15-16).

17. Illustrious Missionaries

 Among the many examples which could be drawn from the history
of Christian mission, the norms given by St. Francis of Assisi, in the
Regola non bollata of 1221, are significant. The friars who "through
divine inspiration would desire to go among the Muslims...can establish
spiritual contacts with them [Muslims] in two ways: a way which does
not raise arguments and disputes, but rather they should be subject to
every human creature for the love of God and confess themselves to be
Christians. The other way is that when they see that it would be pleasing
to the Lord, they should announce the word of God."
Our own century has seen the rise and affirmation, especially in the
Islamic world, of the experience of Charles de Foucauld, who carried out
mission in a humble and silent attitude of union with God, in communion
with the poor, and in universal brotherhood.

18. Respect for Liberty

Mission must always revolve about man in authentic respect for his
freedom. For this reason, the Second Vatican Council, while having
affirmed for the whole Church the necessity and urgency of announcing
Christ, "the light of life, with all apostolic faithfulness and fortitude,
even, when necessary, to the shedding of one's own blood" (DH 14),
confirms the need to promote and respect the true freedom of the other
person, rejecting any form of coercion whatsoever, especially in the
religious sphere.

"Truth, however, is to be sought in a manner proper to the dignity

of the human person and his social nature. The inquiry is to be free,
carried on with the aid of teaching or instruction, communication, and
dialogue. In the course of these, men explain to one another the truth they
have discovered or claim to have discovered in order to help one another
in their search for truth. Moreover, as truth is discovered, it is by personal
assent that men are to adhere to it" (DH 3).

"In spreading religious faith and introducing religious practices,

everyone ought at all times to refrain from any manner of action which
could seem to carry a hint of coercion or a kind of persuasion that would
be dishonorable or unworthy, especially when dealing with poor or
uneducated people. Such a manner of action would have to be considered
an abuse of one's right and a violation of the rights of others" (DH 4).

19. Respect for Each Person

Respect for every person ought to characterize the missionary
activity of the Church today (cf. ES 77; EN 79-80; RH 12). "Man is the
first path which the Church ought to traverse in carrying out its mission"
(RH 14). These values, which the Church continues to learn from Christ
its teacher, should lead the Christian to love and respect all that is good in
the culture and the religious commitment of the other. "It concerns
respect for everything which the Spirit, who blows where he wills, has
produced in man" (RH 12; cf. EN 79). The fact that Christian mission can
never be separated from love and respect for others is proof for Christians
of the place of dialogue within that mission.

2. DIALOGUE
1. Foundation
20. The Reasons of Dialogue
Dialogue does not grow out of the opportunism of the tactics of the
moment, but arises from reasons which experience and reflection, and
even the difficulties themselves, have deepened.

21. Personal and Social Requirements

The Church opens itself to dialogue toward fidelity to man. In
every person and group there is the aspiration and need to be considered
responsible subjects and to be able to act as such. This is the case
whether one regards the need to receive or, even more, when one is
conscious of possessing something which is to be communicated.

As the human sciences have emphasized, in interpersonal dialogue

one experiences one's own limitations as well as the possibility of
overcoming them. A person discovers that he does not possess the truth
in a perfect and total way but can walk together with others toward that
goal. Mutual affirmation, reciprocal correction, and fraternal exchange
lead the partners in dialogue to an ever greater maturity which in turn
generates interpersonal communion. Religious experiences and outlooks
can themselves be purified and enriched in this process of encounter.

The dynamic of human encounter should lead us Christians to

listen to and strive to understand that which other believers communicate
to us in order to profit from the gifts which God bestows so generously.
Sociocultural changes in the world, with their inherent tensions and
difficulties, as well as the growing interdependence in all sectors of
society necessary for living together, for human promotion, and, above
all, for pursuing the demands of peace, all render a dialogical style of
human relationships— today ever more urgent.

22. Faith in God the Father

The Church, however, feels itself called to dialogue principally
because of its faith. In the Trinitarian mystery, Christian revelation
allows us to glimpse in God a life of communion and interchange.
In God, the Father, we contemplate a pervasive love unlimited by
space and time. The universe and history are filled with his gifts. Every
reality and every event are surrounded by his love. In spite of the
sometimes violent manifestations of evil, in the vicissitudes in the life of
each individual and every people there is present the power of grace
which elevates and redeems.

The Church has the duty of discovering and bringing to light and
fullness all the richness which the Father has hidden in creation and
history, not only to celebrate the glory of God in its liturgy, but also to
promote among all mankind the movement of the gifts of the Father.

23. Christ the Redeemer

In God the Son we are given the Word and Wisdom in whom
everything was already contained and subsisting even from the beginning
of time. Christ is the Word who enlightens every person because in him
is manifested at the same time the mystery of God and the mystery of
mankind (cf. RH 8,10,11,13). He is the Redeemer present with grace in
every human encounter, to liberate us from our selfishness and to make
us love one another as he has loved us. As Pope John Paul II has said:

"Man—every man without any exception whatever—has been

redeemed by Christ. And with man—with each man without any
exception, whatever—Christ is in a way united, even when man is
unaware of it. Christ, who died and was raised up for all, provides man,
each and every man, with the light and strength to measure up to his
supreme calling" (RH 14).

24. The Action of the Holy Spirit

In God, the Holy Spirit, our faith allows us to perceive the force of
life and movement, and continuous regeneration (cf. LG 4) by the Spirit
who acts in the depth of people's consciences and accompanies them on
the secret path of hearts toward the truth (cf. GS 22). The Spirit also
works "outside the visible confines of the Mystical Body" (RH 6; cf. LG
16; GS 22; AG 15). The Spirit both anticipates and accompanies the path
of the Church which, nevertheless, feels itself impelled to discern the
signs of his presence, to follow him wherever he leads and to serve him
as a humble and discreet collaborator.

25. The Realization of the Kingdom

The reign of God is the final end of all persons. The Church, which
is to be "its seed and beginning" (LG 5, 9), is called from the first, to start
out on this path toward the kingdom and, along with the rest of humanity,
to advance toward that goal.

This duty includes the struggle against, and the victory over evil
and sin, beginning always with oneself and embracing the mystery of the
cross. The Church is thus oriented toward God's reign until its fulfillment
in the perfect communion of all mankind as brothers in God.

Christ is the guarantee for the Church and the world that the "last
days" have already begun, that the final age of history is already fixed
(cf. LG 48) and that, therefore, the Church is equipped and commissioned
to work so that there comes about the progressive fulfillment of all things
in Christ.

26. The "Seeds of the Word"

This vision induced the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to
affirm that in the religious traditions of non-Christians there exist
"elements which are true and good" (OT 16), "precious things, both
religious and human" (GS 92); "seeds of contemplation" (AG 18),
"elements of truth and grace" (AG 9), "seeds of the Word" (AG 11,15),
and "rays of the truth which illumine all mankind" (NA 2). According to
explicit conciliar indications, these values are found preserved in the
great religious traditions of humanity. Therefore, they merit the attention
and the esteem of Christians. Their spiritual patrimony is a genuine
invitation to dialogue (cf. NA 2, 3;

AG 11), not only in those things which unite us, but also in our
differences.

27. Sincere and Patient Dialogue

The Second Vatican Council has thus been able to draw
consequences of concrete obligations, that are expressed in the following
terms:
 "That they may be able to give this witness to Christ fruitfully,
(Christians) ought to be joined to the people of their time by esteem and
love, and acknowledge themselves to be members of the group of people
among whom they live. Let them share in cultural and social life by me
various exchanges and enterprises of human living. Thus, they ought to
know well the religious and cultural traditions of others, happy to
discover and ready to respect seeds of the Word which are hidden in
them.... As Christ himself...so also his disciples should know the people
among whom they live. They should establish contact with them, to learn
by sincere and patient dialogue what treasures a bountiful God has
distributed among the nations of the earth. At the same time, let them try
to illuminate these treasures with the light of the Gospel, to set them free,
and bring them under the dominion of God their Savior" (AG 11; cf. AG
41; AA 14, 29).

2. Forms of Dialogue
28. Multiplicity of Ways of Dialogue
The experience of recent years gives evidence of the many ways in
which dialogue is expressed. The most important and typical forms
which are listed below are seen as distinct from one another yet at the
same time connected.

29. The Dialogue of Life

Before all else, dialogue is a manner of acting, an attitude; a spirit
which guides one's conduct. It implies concern, respect, and hospitality
toward the other. It leaves room for the other person's identity, modes of
expression, and values. Dialogue is thus the norm and necessary manner
of every form of Christian mission, as well as of every aspect of it,
whether one speaks of simple presence and witness, service, or direct
proclamation (CIC 787, n. 1). Any sense of mission not permeated by
such a dialogical spirit would go against the demands of true humanity
and against the teachings of the Gospel.

30. Dialogue in Daily Life

Every follower of Christ, by reason of his human and Christian
vocation, is called to live dialogue in his daily life, whether he finds
himself in a majority situation or that of a minority. He ought to bring the
spirit of the Gospel into any environment in which he lives and works:
familial, social, educational, artistic, economic, or political life. Dialogue
thus finds its place in the dynamism of the Church's mission.
 31. The Dialogue of Works
A further level of dialogue is that of deeds and collaboration with
others for goals of a humanitarian, social, economic, or political nature
which are directed toward the liberation and advancement of mankind.
This kind of dialogue often occurs today in the context of international
organizations, where Christians and followers of other religions confront
together the problems of the world.

32. Collaboration
The field of collaboration can be extremely wide. Referring in
particular to Muslims, the Second Vatican Council exhorts both parties to
"forget the past" and to "defend and promote together social justice,
moral values, peace and liberty" (NA 3; cf. AG 11,12,15,21). In the same
sense, there are the statements of Pope Paul VI, especially in Ecclesiam
Suam (nn. 110-112), and of John Paul II in numerous meetings with the
heads and representatives of various religions. The great problems with
which humanity is struggling call on Christians to work together with
other believers by virtue of their respective faiths.

33. The Dialogue of Experts

Of particular interest is dialogue at the level of specialists, whether
it be to confront, deepen, and enrich their respective religious heritages or
to apply something of their expertise to the problems which must be
faced by humanity in the course of its history.

Such a dialogue normally occurs where one's partner already has

his own vision of the world and adheres to a religion which inspires him
to action. This is more easily accomplished in pluralistic societies where
diverse traditions and ideologies coexist and sometimes come in contact.

34. Comprehension
In this type of encounter, the partners come to a mutual
understanding and appreciation of each other's spiritual values and
cultural categories and promote communion and fellowship among
people (cf. NA 1). In this manner Christians can also work together for
the evangelical transformation of cultures (cf. EN 18-20, 63).

35. The Dialogue of Religious Experience

At a deeper level, persons rooted in their own religious traditions
can share their experiences of prayer, contemplation, faith, and duty, as
well as their expressions and ways of searching for the Absolute. This
type of dialogue can be a mutual enrichment and fruitful cooperation for
promoting and preserving the highest values and spiritual ideals. It leads
naturally to each partner communicating to the other the reasons for his
own faith. The sometimes profound differences between the faiths do not
prevent this dialogue. Those differences, rather, must be referred back in
humility and confidence to God who "is greater than our heart" (1 Jn
3:20). In this way also, the Christian has the opportunity of offering to
the other the possibility of experimenting in an existential way with the
values of the Gospel.

3. DIALOGUE AND MISSION

36. Relations between Dialogue and Mission
Dialogue and mission have multiple relationships. We dwell here
on several aspects which at the present time have greater relevance
because of the challenges and problems they pose and the attitude which
they demand.

1. Mission and Conversion

37. The Call to Conversion
According to the Second Vatican Council, missionary
proclamation has conversion as its goal: "that non-Christians be freely
converted to the Lord under the action of the Holy Spirit who opens their
hearts so that they may adhere to him" (AG 13; CIC 787, n. 2). In the
context of dialogue between believers of various faiths, one cannot avoid
reflecting on the spiritual process of conversion.

In biblical language and that of the Christian tradition, conversion

is the humble and penitent return of the heart to God in the desire to
submit one's life more generously to him. All persons are constantly
called to this conversion. In the course of this process, the decision may
be made to leave one's previous spiritual or religious situation'in order to
direct oneself toward another. Thus, for example, from a particular love
the heart can open itself to one that is more universal.

Every authentic call from God always carries with it an

overcoming of oneself. There is no new life without death, as the
dynamic of the Paschal Mystery shows (cf. GS 22). Moreover, "every
conversion is the work of grace, in which a person ought to fully find
himself again" (RH 12).
 38. Respect of Consciences
In this process of conversion, the law of conscience is sovereign,
because "no one must be constrained to act against his conscience, nor
should he be impeded in acting according to his conscience, especially in
religious matters" (DH 3).

39. The Vivifying Spirit

In the Christian view, the principal agent of conversion is not man,
but the Holy Spirit. "It is he who drives one to announce the Gospel and
in the depths of one's conscience makes one welcome and understand the
word of salvation" (EN 75). He determines the movement of hearts and
gives rise to the act of faith in Jesus the Lord (cf. 1 Co 2:4). The Christian
is but a simple instrument and co-worker of God (cf. 1 Co 3:9).

40. The Mutual Desire for Growth

In dialogue also, the Christian normally nourishes in his heart the
desire of sharing his experience of Christ with his brother of another
religion (cf. Acts 16:29; ES 46). On the other hand, it is natural that
another believer would similarly desire to share his faith.

2. Dialogue for the Building of God's Reign

41. Collaboration in God's Plan
God never ceases to reconcile persons to himself by the work of
his Spirit. The Church relies on the promise made by Christ that the Spirit
will guide it in history toward the fullness of truth (Jn 16:13). For this
reason it goes out to meet individuals, peoples, and their cultures, aware
that the seeds of goodness and truth are found in every human
community, and conscious that God has a loving plan for every nation
(Acts 17:26-27). The Church therefore wants to work together with all in
order to fulfill this plan and by doing so recognize the value of the
infinite and varied wisdom of God and contribute to me evangelization of
cultures (cf. ES 18-20).

42. The Promotion of Universal Peace

"We also turn our thoughts to all who acknowledge God and who '
preserve in their traditions precious elements of religion and humanity.
We want open dialogue to compel us all to receive the inspirations of the
Spirit faithfully and to measure up to them energetically. The desire for
such dialogue, conducted with appropriate discretion and leading to truth
by way of love alone, excludes nobody. We include in this those who
respect highminded human values without recognizing who the author of
those values is, as well as those who oppose the Church and persecute it
in various ways. Since God the Father is the origin and purpose of all
mankind, we are all called to be brothers and sisters. Therefore, if we
have been summoned to the same destiny, which is both human and
divine, we can and should work together without violence and deceit in
order to build genuine peace in the world" (GS 92; cf. also, the messages
of Popes Paul VI and John Paul II for the World Day of Peace).

43. Dialogue, Wellspring of Hope

Dialogue thus becomes a source of hope and a factor of
communion in mutual transformation. The Holy Spirit directs the
carrying out of God's design in the history of the individual and of all
humanity until the time when God's children who are dispersed by sin
will be reunited as one (cf. Jn 11:52).

44. The Patience of God

God alone knows those days, he to whom nothing is impossible, he
whose mysterious and silent Spirit opens the paths of dialogue to
individuals and peoples in order to overcome racial, social, and religious
differences and to bring mutual enrichment. We live in the age of the
patience of God for the Church and every Christian community, for no
one can oblige God to act more quickly than he has chosen to do.

However, before the new humanity of the 21st century, the Church
should radiate a Christianity open to awaiting in patience the maturation
of the seeds sown in tears and in trust (cf. Js 5:7-8; Mk 4:26-30).