Nostra Aetate at 60: Spotlight on Interreligious Relations | One Body

 — Feb. 15, 202515 févr. 2025

February is a special month to recognize and celebrate the many efforts made in communities all across Canada to promote healthy and active interreligious relationships.

For the past 15 years, the United Nations has designated February 1-7 as World Interfaith Harmony Week, dedicated to spreading “the message of harmony and tolerance among the followers of all the world’s religions, faiths and beliefs.” It adheres, in the broadest possible terms, to the principles of “Love of God (or the Good)” and “Love of Neighbour.”

In my own city, as in many Canadian cities, World Interfaith Harmony Week is marked by a variety of activities including open house events at churches, temples, mosques, and synagogues; educational and dialogue events; concerts and spoken word events; and of course prayer events led by and involving different religious communities. It is a beautiful weeklong celebration of local religious diversity, and an annual reminder and recommitment within each religious community, of the importance of supporting one another and working together for the common good.

While the Catholic Church does not officially mark World Interfaith Harmony Week, at least not within the liturgical calendar, many Catholics – from the popes on down – are actively engaged in promoting interreligious connections and activities all around the world. Indeed, it is not an exaggeration to identify the Catholic Church today as a leader in the field of interreligious relations.

Read the rest of this article in the One Body blog on Salt+Light Media

None of this is accidental, of course. This coming October, our Church will mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.” Nostra Aetate – one of the shortest of all the Vatican II texts – is something of a “Magna Carta” that establishes the Church’s commitment to “examine more carefully its relations with non-Christian religions” and encourages (“earnestly begs”) the Christian faithful to enter into life-giving relationships with the followers of other religions for the common good and “to be at peace with all people” (#5). This mandate, or rather this call, was issued in 1965; Catholics the world over have now been living their way into answering that call for six decades.

Nostra Aetate revisited

Nostra Aetate (NA) is written in five parts:

1. An introductory section situates the Church’s interest in interreligious relations within a context of growing “bonds of friendship” that have developed between all peoples that have already developed between all peoples in the two decades since the Second World War. From the Christian point of view, all of humanity is created by God and sustained by God’s grace, and “all share a common destiny, namely God.” The different religions of the world present different responses to the great questions of human existence: Where do we come from? Where are we going? What is the meaning and purpose of life? What is the origin of evil in the world, and how do we overcome it? There is inherent value in exploring “what people have in common and what tends to bring them together.”

2. Section two describes in the most general terms the main tenets of certain religious traditions, namely Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as “other religions which are found throughout the world [that] attempt in different ways to overcome the restlessness of people’s hearts by outlining a program of life covering doctrine, moral precepts, and sacred rites.”This section also contains the often quoted (and often misquoted) paragraph that admits a certain tension between the Church’s desire to dialogue and its obligation to evangelize.

The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions. It has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and doctrines which, although differing in many ways from its own teaching, nevertheless reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men and women. Yet it proclaims and is in duty bound to proclaim without fail, Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 1.6). In him, in whom God reconciled all things to himself (see 2 Corinthians 5.18-19), people find the fullness of their religious life.

The Council Fathers urge Catholics, therefore,

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, together with their social life and culture.

These two paragraphs, which were considered shocking at the time and have lost nothing of their impact in our contemporary context, form the basis for much of the interreligious work undertaken by the Holy See and the Catholic Church in general throughout the post-conciliar era. (More on this below).

3. The third section of NA focuses on the Church’s relationship to Islam. As the second largest religious population in the world, and one that Christianity has often been at odds with historically, it is very significant to read in NA that “the Church has … a high regard for the Muslims.” After identifying many of the teachings that Christians and Muslims hold in common, and acknowledging the troubled history of Christian-Muslim relations, the Council rather directly (and naively?) “pleads with all to forget the past,” before imploring both communities to work together to achieve mutual understanding and to “preserve and promote peace, liberty, social justice, and moral values.” The legacy of post-Vatican II interreligious relations between Catholic and Muslim leaders and communities is both remarkable and worthy of a dedicated future article in this blog series.

4. Section four of NA turns our attention to the relationship of the Church to Judaism and the Jewish people. We have featured this section previously in a couple of One Body posts (for example, here and here) for its remarkable content and impact in setting a new course for modern Jewish-Catholic relations.NA #4 outlines the strong spiritual ties that bind Christianity to Judaism, in a way that is quite distinct from the Christian relationship to any other religion. Addressing various erroneous teachings that tragically made their way into Christian consciousness over the centuries, the Council affirms the permanence of the Jewish covenant with God, presents a corrective to the anti-Jewish accusation of deicide, offers an instruction for amending catechesis and preaching regarding Jews and Judaism, and pronounces an explicit rejection of antisemitism “levelled at any time or from any source against the Jews.” These “new” correctives and teachings have all become the cornerstones of Catholic-Jewish dialogue in the post-conciliar era.

5. The fifth and final section of NA implores the whole Church to embrace anew the commandment to love our neighbour: “We cannot truly pray to God the Father of all if we treat any people as other than sisters and brothers, for all are created in God’s image.” The Council declares powerfully, “any discrimination against people or any harassment of them on the basis of their race, colour, condition in life, or religion” is “foreign to the mind of Christ.”  And, finally, readers are reminded that the goal of all interreligious dialogue is ultimately peacemaking, friendship, and the integrity of the Gospel lived in the world.

Legacy of Nostra Aetate

Already before the end of the Council, in 1964, Pope Paul VI set up a Secretariat for non-Christians (later called the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and today referred to as the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue). This body has been at the forefront of implementing and developing the teachings of Nostra Aetate and the Second Vatican Council for the past sixty years. This has been happening through various means and methods including:

  • supporting dialogue among Christians concerning relations with followers of other religions;
  • providing resources and guidance for the work of dialogue that is being done in local Catholic Churches;
  • sustaining relationships and sponsoring events that foster a spirit of dialogue and fraternity with various groups representing other religious traditions;
  • encouraging the study of religions among Christians and inviting followers of other religions to study Christianity more deeply;
  • promoting the formation of persons dedicated to dialogue, both at an intellectual and lived-experience level.

(Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, “Goals and Activities.”)

The Dicastery has produced three major documents that have each expounded and elucidated the main points of NA, as may be perceived in their titles:

These significant texts have all served to advance the Church’s understanding of the method, goals, and fruits of interreligious dialogue, and also what it means to be a Church that shares  the “dialogue of life” with adherents of other faith traditions.

Official documents and dialogues aside, the Dicastery issues “good will messages” to the communities of the different world religions on major feast days (e.g. Eid al-Adha, Vesak, Diwali). These are sent out through Episcopal Conferences around the world with the intention that they be shared with representatives of those faith communities in local contexts.

Papal visits today usually include an opportunity for the Holy Father to meet leaders from other religions living in a particular country or region. On certain occasions of particular import, the popes have convened significant gatherings of world religious leaders, for example praying for global peace at Assisi. And certainly Pope Francis has actively considered other religious communities in some of his major writings (e.g. Laudato Si’, Fratelli Tutti).

Each of these outreach and engagement activities has served to concretize and deepen the teachings of Nostra Aetate, and to strengthen our Church’s commitment to interreligious dialogue and relationships.

Interreligious Relations and the Catholic Church in Canada

Here in Canada, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops maintains active formal dialogues with Hindu, Muslim, and Jewish communities in Canada. In 2014, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the CCCB issued a bulletin (part of its “A Church in Dialogue” series) describing each of these particular dialogues and highlighting some of the fruits achieved through them.

As indicated at the beginning of this article, many interreligious activities happen today in cities and towns all across Canada. As our population has grown more diverse, so have the opportunities for meeting and engaging neighbours of other religious traditions, and discovering the beauty of interreligious relations in the everyday encounters of our lives.

As that 2014 CCCB bulletin states,

Nostra Aetate continues to provide inspiration and guidance as to how, despite our differences, Christians and people of other beliefs can work together to build up a world that reflects the best of our religious heritages, where religion is a source of peace and collaboration, instead of an excuse for violence or division.

It is a joy to engage in this sacred work and to discover the beauty of individuals and communities from other religious communities who are interested in working with us on the very same things.

Posted: Feb. 15, 2025 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=14535
Categories: One BodyIn this article: interfaith, Judaism, Julien Hammond, Nostra Aetate, One Body, Second Vatican Council
Transmis : 15 févr. 2025 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=14535
Catégorie : One BodyDans cet article : interfaith, Judaism, Julien Hammond, Nostra Aetate, One Body, Second Vatican Council


Cuban migrant Marielis Arosh and her family walk with other migrants after their CBP One app asylum appointment was cancelled on the day of U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration, near the border fence in Mexicali, Mexico

Migration policies built on force, not truth, ‘will end badly,’ pope tells U.S.

 — Feb. 11, 202511 févr. 2025

Pope Francis has urged U.S. Catholics and people of goodwill to not give in to “narratives” that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to migrants and refugees.

“I recognize your valuable efforts, dear brother bishops of the United States, as you work closely with migrants and refugees, proclaiming Jesus Christ and promoting fundamental human rights,” he said in a letter to the U.S. bishops published by the Vatican Feb. 11.

Pope Francis said he was writing because of “the major crisis that is taking place in the United States” with the start of President Donald J. Trump’s “program of mass deportations.”

In his presidential executive order, “Protecting the American people against invasion,” released Jan. 20, Trump said, “Many of these aliens unlawfully within the United States present significant threats to national security and public safety, committing vile and heinous acts against innocent Americans.”

Pope Francis said, “The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality.”
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Pope Francis kisses the encolpion of Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, the representative of the Armenian Orthodox Church to the Holy See, during a meeting at the Vatican with young priests and monks from Oriental Orthodox churches

Nicene Creed unites Christians, overcoming division through faith

 — Feb. 7, 20257 févr. 2025

The Nicene Creed is more than a statement of faith — it is a powerful sign of unity among Christians, Pope Francis said as he welcomed young priests and monks from Oriental Orthodox Churches to the Vatican.

“Whereas the devil divides, the symbol unites!” the pope told the group taking part in a study visit to Rome promoted by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. He explained that the Creed is called a “symbol” because it not only summarizes the core truths of Christianity but also serves as a sign of identity and communion among believers.

“How beautiful it would be if, each time we proclaim the Creed, we felt united with Christians of all traditions,” he said.
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Jubilee 2025: Turn Debt into Hope

Canadian mobilizers gather for Jubilee 2025 launch webinar, February 19

 — Feb. 6, 20256 févr. 2025

Jubilee 2025: Turn Debt into Hope campaign launch webinar to feature Indigenous and Global South voices, Canadian faith leaders.

What: a group of Christian organizations, led by KAIROS Canada, are coordinating Canadian participation in Jubilee 2025, a global movement to end the mounting debt crisis. The Launch Webinar: Jubilee 2025 – Turn Debt into Hope will kick off Canadians’ participation in signing the Jubilee petition and feature insights from Indigenous and Global South voices, as well as from Canadian faith advocacy leaders. The event will feature simultaneous French translation.

Partner organizers include: Citizens for Public Justice, Development and Peace – Caritas Canada, the Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology and The Canadian Council of Churches.

Where: online, via Zoom. For more information and to register, visit the Launch Webinar: Jubilee 2025 – Turn Debt into Hope event page.
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Much of Gaza has been destroyed by aerial bombardment during the Israel-Gaza conflict that began following the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas

WCC calls on President Trump to follow international law for a just peace in Gaza

 — Feb. 5, 20255 févr. 2025

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay has described the proposal of US President Trump as “tantamount to proposing full-scale ethnic cleansing and neo-colonization of the homeland of the 2 million Palestinians of Gaza.”

Pillay noted that the proposal violates every applicable principle of international humanitarian and human rights law, flouts decades of efforts by the international community – including by the USA – for a just and sustainable peace for the peoples of the region, and would if implemented constitute multiple international crimes of the most serious kind. “The standing of the United States of America as a responsible member of the international community has been gravely diminished by the proposal itself, not to speak of any actual implementation thereof,” Pillay said. 

In a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 4 February, President Trump said the United States “will take over” the Gaza Strip — possibly with the help of American troops — while the Palestinians who live there should leave. “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too,” said President Trump. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings,” he said, describing his vision for the area as a new “Riviera.”
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At the Canada-US border in New York

Canada must withdraw from Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States

 — Feb. 4, 20254 févr. 2025

Canada must urgently withdraw from the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) given the dire situation facing refugees in the United States, the Canadian Council for Refugees and Amnesty International Canada said today.

The Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States bars most people crossing into Canada via the United States from seeking refugee protection in Canada. Under the agreement – which is premised on the notion that both countries reliably respect people’s right to seek asylum – people entering Canada via the U.S. to make a refugee claim here are usually turned back at the border.

“President Trump’s extreme anti-immigrant and anti-asylum orders are designed to instill fear and make the U.S dangerously more unsafe for those seeking protection,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section. “Canada’s assertion that the United States remains a safe country for refugees under the Trump administration is a cruel irony to those fleeing persecution today. It must be urgently rescinded, and tariffs threats must not blur the plight of those at immediate risk.”
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Church leaders call for permanent ceasefire

 — Feb. 4, 20254 févr. 2025

“A permanent ceasefire would cease hostilities, release all remaining hostages, liberate thousands of Palestinian prisoners detained without cause or charge, ensure continuing and increasing humanitarian aid in all forms — medical, food and psychological — and result in the withdrawal of occupying forces,” write Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian and United Church leaders.
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Rev. Dr. Sandra Beardsall was the speaker for the 2025 De Margerie Series for Christian Reconciliation and Unity, with events held in both Saskatoon and Regina. Her lectures were also live-streamed online

De Margerie Series for Christian Reconciliation and Unity continues

 — Jan. 24, 202524 janv. 2025

The late Fr. Bernard de Margerie was remembered during the 2025 De Margerie Series for Christian Reconciliation and Unity — the 12th year of the series and the first to be held since his death in March 2024.

“We continue this series in his memory, and, with his encouragement, to continue to be agents of Christian reconciliation and unity,” said Nicholas Jesson, who helped establish the series in 2012 while serving as ecumenical officer for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, and who now serves in Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations for the Archdiocese of Regina.

“No doubt Fr. Bernard is listening tonight, and joining us in prayer that all may be one in Christ so that the world may believe (John 17:21),” said Jesson in a poignant introduction at the start of the 2025 series Jan. 22 in Saskatoon.
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The offices of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue on the Via de la Conciliazone in Rome, just steps from St. Peter's Basilica

Pope Francis names new Indian cardinal to lead Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue

 — Jan. 24, 202524 janv. 2025

Pope Francis has named Indian Cardinal George J. Koovakad to be the new prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

The 51-year-old, who received his red hat from the pope in December, also will continue to be responsible for organizing papal trips abroad, Vatican News reported Jan. 24, the day his appointment was announced.

The dicastery is responsible for dialogue with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and members of other world religions.

“The Dicastery works to ensure that dialogue with the followers of other religions takes place in an appropriate way, with an attitude of listening, esteem and respect,” according to the apostolic constitution governing the Roman Curia.
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Friends and supporters of the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, which started in Saskatoon in 1984, gathered for a 40th anniversary celebration held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Prairie Centre for Ecumenism’s 40th anniversary

 — Jan. 21, 202521 janv. 2025

Fond memories of early-morning worship services at different Saskatoon churches during the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity were shared at a recent 40th anniversary celebration for the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, founded in Saskatoon in 1984.

At the 40th anniversary celebration Nov. 22, 2024, Prairie Centre for Ecumenism Board Chair Mary Nordick pointed to the early-morning gatherings on cold and dark prairie mornings in January as times filled with the warmth of fellowship and the joy of re-connecting with friends from other Christian traditions.

Rev. Dr. Sandra Beardsall – a United Church minister and professor emeritus of Church History and Ecumenics who has been involved in the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism (PCE) in various ways over the past 25 years — also shared memories of those early morning gatherings.

“I think those will stay with me all my life,” she said. “I would get up and say ‘what am I doing? It is minus 30!’ And then there would be this beautiful prayer service, and breakfast, and friends … there is something so precious about that praying together early, early in the morning.”
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