Nostra Aetate - In Our Time

93 xcellencies, distinguished guests, dear friends. It is, for me, really a pleasure to share with you as we conclude our time together, a brief reflection on the significance of the final conciliar declaration Nostra Aetate which, in my opinion, bears witness to the opening and, to use a term dear to Pope Francis, to the mercy with which the Catholic Church has looked – and continues to look – at life in our world. I thank all of you who are here and who have shared, this afternoon, moments of reflection that were, I believe, a tangible sign of the willingness of the Catholic Church to dialogue with our brothers and sisters of other reli- gious traditions, as advocated by Nostra Aetate . I could summarise in two words what we have been sharing together in this rich presentation and discussion. What we have proclaimed is just our desire to live in unity in diversity. It is true that in these 50 years much has been accomplished but much still remains to be done. Although many words have been spoken, there have also been, and there are still, too many silences. The path indicated by Nostra Aetate is still a very demanding one and, as we read further in this Declaration, we continue to be urged to recognise, preserve and advance all of the spiritual, moral and socio-cultural values found in religions. The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, of which I am the Secretary, is aware of its debt to all of those Council Fathers – 2,221 fathers to be exact – who on 28 October 50 years ago, with great courage and foresight, approved the declaration Nostra Aetate . We are also indebted to all of those who in the past 50 years, from whatever religion to which they belonged, have promoted interreligious dialogue. Let me also thank the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID), for all of the efforts made towards the promo- tion of interreligious dialogue and for the many different initiatives that support people of different religions to come together in this hub, to get to know each other and to learn to work together for the good of humanity. Nostra Aetate urged that encounters between believ- ers, like this one today, have a clear identity and a spirit of respect, esteem and collaboration. In this regard I would like to recall here what was said by His Eminence Cardinal Tauran at the inauguration of the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID), when he expressed the hope that our initiatives would be conducted with “vision, honesty and credibility” (Vienna, 26 November 2012). In these times, which are for many reasons dark and difficult, I believe that the purpose of interreligious dia- logue is to take a common path towards the truth. This journey needs to take into account the following aspects: the identity of the person who is dialoguing; that one must not talk ambiguously; that each must pay attention to the other; that those who pray and think differently from me are not an enemy; and that the intentions of each must be sincere. We must undoubtedly strengthen the fruitful cooper- ation among us believers of different religions on issues of common interest for the good of the human family and of our common home. It is necessary to preserve the universal spirit with which Pope Francis speaks in his encyclical Laudato Si’: “The majority of people living on our planet profess to be believers. This should spur religions to dialogue among themselves for the sake of protecting nature, defending the poor, and building networks of respect and fraternity” (Laudato Si’, n. 201). So here I think that we may find a roadmap to proceed together. I think I can say that the years ahead will see the Catho- lic Church evenmore committed in responding to the great challenge of interreligious dialogue. In 50 years since Nostra Aetate much has been achieved but there is still a long way to go. 50 years ago the Declaration opened a door that, clearly, has not been closed. Indeed, the Council document is still an encouragement for all of us to never close the door or window, and for us to use the words of Father Neuhaus. Its message is timeless; let me bring some points to mind: v The growing interdependence of peoples (cfr. n. 1) v The human search for the meaning of life, suffering and death v The profound human questions which remain valid because of their permanence – we are all human beings (cfr. n. 1) v The common origin and the only destiny of humanity (cfr. n. 1) v The unicity of the human family (cfr. n. 1) within the various ethnic groups and cultures (cfr. n. 1) v That religions are a search for God or the Absolute. These are words from Nostra Aetate and are a very, very challenging and timeless message that we have received from this Declaration. NOSTRA AETATE – CREAT ING A CULTURE OF INCLUSION E