Nostra Aetate - In Our Time

25 ECUMENICAL PERSPECT I VES OF NOSTRA AETATE ear colleagues, dear honourable represent- atives, ladies and gentlemen. How was it possible that a council such as Vatican II could be created? It was in the aftermath of two world wars that the constitution of democratic states, by law, established and confirmed religious freedom. The 1960s were a time of opening up and of making a kind of shift from religious controversies to social coherence. And with this coher- ence came a responsibility – an important responsibility – in which religions and the Churches could engage. Vatican II looked towards a renewal of the Roman Catholic Church from its origin – this renewal was a kind of motto recovered from its roots – and two documents were presented to the world outside the Catholic Church. One of those documents was the decree on ecumenism called Unitatis Redintegratio , addressing the Protestant Churches, and many prominent Protestant represent- atives were invited to Vatican II as observers and also to comment on the draft papers. This engagement was completely new. It was in 1928 that Pope Pius XI forbade Roman Catholics to take part in any ecumenical conference, but this new document on ecumenism was published only 37 years later. This was a huge step. The other document was Nostra Aetate which addresses two important aspects. Firstly, the increase in pluralism which enables people of various beliefs to live together in one world. Secondly, and especially with respect to Muslims, the document mentions that, over centuries, Christian-Muslim relations became spoilt by militant encounters resulting in harsh polemics and vil- ification on both sides. The decree invites us “to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understand- ing, and to preserve as well as promote together for the benefit of all mankind, social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom”. These last words stress a focus on the socio-political situation. I would also like to say that today we should not only forget the challenges of the past, but we should avoid focusing our minds on terrorism. Nostra Aetate speaks for social justice, moral welfare, peace and freedom. In the light of Roman Catholic self-understanding I think that this is important in emphasising the responsibility of the Church and in stressing those traits common to all religions. And I read this as a difference in relation, or a relation in difference, as both go together. And this, for me, is the lasting impact of Vatican II for the future. Some critical voices within the Roman Catholic Church desired that the Nostra Aetate declaration should include a reference to both Islam as an estab- lished religion and to the prophet Muhammad. But I think that it was a wise decision, instead, to reference persons – not institutions but individual followers – who are responsible for a religion from their own religious perspective, for example from the point of view of a Jewish or a Muslim life. So Vatican II addresses the person responsible and not the religion or the institution. This is expressed as: “The Church exhorts her sons that through dialogue and through collaboration with the followers of other reli- gions carried out with prudence and love, and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognise, preserve and promote the good things; spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found amongst these men.” This shows that Vatican II did not, at the core, intend religious dialogue, but to come to an understanding on a socio-political level by searching for the relevant poten- tial within one’s own religion. The following four points are prominent within the Declaration: v All human beings are created by God. The document says that we cannot truly call on God the Father of all if we refuse to treat in a brotherly way any man who was created in the image of God v God bestowed all human beings with dignity which cannot be lost v The merciful God wants salvation for His whole creation and for all creatures v Humans are called into responsibility for this creation and earth. The document goes on to say that: “The Church reproves as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrim- ination against men, or harassment of them because of their race, colour, condition of life, or religion. On the contrary, following in the footsteps of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, the Sacred Synod ardently implores the Christian faithful to maintain good fellowship among the nations.” Also to follow quotations from Paul’s letter to the Romans and the Gospel according to Matthew such that the faithful should strive, “if possible, to live for their part in peace with all men so that they may truly be sons of the Father who is in heaven”. D