After Pope Francis died, an ecumenical colleague asked me about the ecumenical legacy of the late pope. As I endeavoured to answer him, I found myself clarifying at several points that Francis was not all that different in his ecumenical commitments from the previous popes, going back to Pope Paul VI and the Second Vatican Council. Each of the post-conciliar popes has presided over significant steps on the ecumenical journey, and Francis should be seen as continuing this same journey. As much as I love and appreciate him, I am uncomfortable giving Francis sole credit for achievements that are largely due to the efforts of ecumenical leaders in the Roman Curia, ecumenical agencies, theological dialogues, and national and local churches. The achievements of the ecumenical movement during the Francis papacy are certainly due to his guidance, encouragement, permission, and his genuinely open spirit, and it is for these that we can give thanks.

The Spirit asks us to listen to the questions, concerns, and hopes of every Church, people, and nation. And to listen to the world, to the challenges and changes that it sets before us. Let us not soundproof our hearts; let us not remain barricaded in our certainties. So often our certainties can make us closed. Let us listen to one another (Homily at the Mass Opening the Synodal Path, October 10, 2021).

Working as an ecumenist in the Francis years has been a great joy. I have been studying and working in ecumenism since the late 1980s, beginning in the middle years of Pope John Paul II and through the long years of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI’s time at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and then his papacy. These were positive years of ecumenical progress. John Paul II was a figure who transformed Catholic relations with the Evangelical world. He presided over the most significant years of bilateral dialogue with Anglicans, Lutherans, Orthodox, Methodists, and Reformed. He was the pope who approved the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and issued common declarations on Christology with the Oriental Orthodox. He convened world religious leaders at Assisi to pray for peace.
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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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