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.
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