Vatican City, 28 October 2015 (VIS) –
This week's general audience was held on the 50th anniversary of the
Vatican Council II Declaration “Nostra Aetate” on the relations
between the Catholic Church and non-Christian religions. It was
attended by representatives of various religions and participants in
the International Congress organised to commemorate the event by the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in collaboration with
the Commission for Religious Relationships with Jews, the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Pontifical Gregorian
University.
Before beginning his catechesis in St.
Peter's Square the Pope greeted the sick and elderly who, due to the
weather conditions, were unable to attend the open air audience.
Francis also mentioned them in the square and asked for a minute of
silence and prayer for them all.
The audience began with greetings from
Cardinals Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue, and Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity. After the reading in several
languages of a paragraph of “Nostra Aetate”, the Pope welcomed
all those present and expressed his gratitude to them for
commemorating together the 50th anniversary of this important
conciliar document.
“Vatican Council II was an
extraordinary moment of reflection, dialogue and prayer to renew the
gaze of the Catholic Church upon herself and the world. A reading of
the signs of the times in order to bring her up to date, guided by a
dual fidelity: fidelity to the ecclesial tradition and fidelity to
the history of the men and women of our time. Indeed, God revealed
Himself in creation and in history, spoke through prophets and fully
in His Son made man, addressing the heart and soul of every human
being who seeks the truth and the way to practise it”.
Francis, reiterating that the message
of the Declaration “Nostra Aetate” remains valid today, recalled
some of its key points: the growing interdependence of peoples; the
human search for meaning in life, suffering and death, questions that
always accompany our journey; the common origin and common destiny of
humanity; the unity of the human family; religions as the search for
God or the Absolute, within the various ethnic groups and cultures;
the Church's benevolent and careful view of all religions, which does
not reject anything good or true in them; the Church's esteem for all
believers of all religions, appreciating their spiritual and moral
commitment; and finally, the Church's openness to dialogue with all,
while remaining at the same time faithful to the truth in which she
believes, starting from the salvation offered to all that has its
origin in Jesus, the sole saviour, and that is worked by the Holy
Spirit, as the source of peace and love”.
The Pope also noted that over the last
fifty years there have been many initiatives and examples of
institutional or personal relations with non-Christian religions. The
most significant among them include the meeting in Assisi on 27
October 1986, promoted by St. John Paul II. He also praised the great
transformation that has taken place in this period in the
relationship between Christians and Jews. “Indifference and
opposition have turned into cooperation and benevolence”, he
remarked. “From enemies and strangers, we have become friends and
brothers. The Council, with the Declaration 'Nostra Aetate', showed
the way: 'yes' to the rediscovery of the Jewish roots of
Christianity; 'no' to any form of anti-Semitism and condemnation of
any resulting injustice, discrimination and persecution. Mutual
knowledge, respect and esteem constitute the way that, valid for
relations with Jews, is similarly relevant to relations with other
religions. I think in particular of Muslims who, as the Council
states, 'adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself,
merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of Heaven and earth, Who has
spoken to men'. They refer to the paternity of Abraham, they venerate
Jesus as a prophet, they honour His virgin Mother Mary, they await
the day of judgement, and practise prayer, charity and fasting”.
“The dialogue we need cannot be other
than open and respectful, and in this way it is shown to be fruitful.
Mutual respect is the condition and the aim of interreligious
dialogue; respecting the rights of others to life, physical integrity
and fundamental freedoms: that is, freedom of conscience, thought,
expression and religion. The world looks to us as believers, and
exhorts us to collaborate among ourselves and with men and women of
good will who do not profess any religion, and asks us for effective
answers on several issues: peace, hunger, the poverty that afflicts
millions of people, the environmental crisis, violence, especially
that committed in the name of religion, corruption, moral
degradation, the crisis of the family, the economy and finance, and
above all, hope. We believers do not have solutions for these
problems, but we have a great resource: prayer. We must pray. Prayer
is our treasury, which we draw from according to our respective
traditions, to ask for the gifts humanity yearns for”.
He acknowledged that violence and
terrorism have given rise to “an attitude of suspicion and indeed
condemnation with regard to religions. In reality, since no religion
is immune to the risk of fundamentalist or extremist deviations by
individuals or groups, it is necessary to look instead to the
positive values they embody and promote, and which are a wellspring
of hope. ... Dialogue based on trustful respect can bring seeds of
goodness that in turn become the buds of friendship and collaboration
in many fields, and especially in service to the poor, the smallest
and the elderly, and welcoming migrants and the excluded”. He also
remarked on the role of religions in defending the environment, a
common good.
The upcoming extraordinary Jubilee of
Mercy will offer an opportunity for collaboration in charitable
works. “And in this field, where compassion is most important, we
can join with many people who do not consider themselves to be
believers or who are in search of God and truth, people who place the
face of others at the centre, especially their brothers and sisters
in need. But the mercy that is required of us embraces all creation,
that God entrusted to us as its custodians rather than exploiters or
destroyers. We must always seek to leave behind a better world than
the one we found”.
The Pope concluded by urging all those
present to pray for the future of interreligious dialogue, “and to
pray for each other, as we are brothers! Without the Lord, nothing is
possible; with Him, everything is possible. May our prayer fully
adhere to the will of God, Who wants all men to acknowledge each
other as brothers and to live as such, forming a great human family
in the harmony of diversity”.
Following the greetings in different
languages, the Pope invited all to pray to the Lord, each following
his or her own tradition, that He might make us brothers together and
servants to our brothers in need.