GENERAL AUDIENCE: DIALOGUE WITH THE GREAT WORLD RELIGIONS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 19, 1999 (VIS) - In today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square, the Pope spoke on "dialogue with the great world religions."

John Paul II indicated that "the universal paternity of God, made manifest in Jesus Christ, is the stimulus to dialogue with other religions. ... At the basis of the Church's encounter with world religions lies the recognition of their specific character, in other words, the manner in which they approach the mystery of God, the Saviour." This dialogue presupposes that man, "created in God's image, is also the privileged 'place' of his salvational presence."

"The dialogue between Christianity and other religions has a number of forms and levels, starting with the dialogue of life," which is an opening to and an acceptance for all people. The dialogue of actions takes place through "the teaching of peace and of respect for the environment, solidarity with a suffering world, the promotion of social justice and the full development of peoples."

The Holy Father added that theological dialogue permits a deepening of "understanding of the different religious heritages and an appreciation of spiritual values. However, the meeting of specialists in the various religions must not be limited to the search for a lowest common denominator." Rather, they must "render a courageous service to the truth."

The dialogue of religious experience, he said, calls believers to contemplation in order to "penetrate more deeply into the mystery of God."

The Pope concluded the catechism by affirming that "mysticism must never be evoked in order to favor religious relativism or in name of an experience that reduces the value of God's revelation in history."

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