The Declaration of Inter-Religious Dialogue

Vatican II
Called by Pope John XXIII
Gathering of 2000-2500 bishops
Renew and update the Church
His Holiness, Pope John XXIII

Results
16 Major documents
Outlining new and updated positions of
the Church on various topics
Nostra Aetate dealt with other Religions
Up to the Present, largely defines the
Churchs position

Are Non-Catholics Saved?
Extra Ecclisiam Nulla Salus
St. Cyprian of Carthage
1492, discovery of the New World
Argument settled during Vatican II
Karl Rahner

Chapter 1: The Community
Community of all peoples and origin
in God
Final goal of all peoples is God
Various religions answers
unsolvable questions about human
condition
Thesis: Church Rejects nothing that
is true in other Religions

Chapter 2: Eastern Religions
Hinduism contemplates the Divine
Buddhism seeks liberation from suffering
The Church, through dialogue, seeks to
promote these good things
Chapter 3: Islam
Recognizes God
Acknowledges Abraham, Mary, and
Jesus
Move beyond bad history between
Islam and Christianity
Chapter 4: Judaism
Churchs roots in Judaism
Apostles and Mary were Jewish
Not all Jews held accountable for
Christs death
The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
Chapter 5: Called to Love All
Cannot Call to God, unless we love all
Examples of Peter and Paul
Pope Francis and Cardinal Bertone visit tomb of
St. Peter, where his bones are buried.
Why is Nostra Aetate Useful for World
Religions?
Clarify that World Religions is consistent
with Catholic Faith
Provide a framework to approach course
content in
I am Joseph, Your Brother
Pope Pius XII
Pope from 1939-1958
Accused of being anti-Semitic
Accusations false, but none-the-less, created
impression Church was anti-Jewish
Catholics had blamed Jews for centuries for killing
Christ
Prayed for Jews on Good Friday
Good Friday Prayer for Jews, 1955
Let us pray also for the faithless Jews: that almighty God may remove
the veil from their hearts; so that they too may acknowledge Jesus
Christ our Lord. Let us pray. Let us kneel. [pause for silent prayer]
Arise. Almighty and eternal God, who dost not exclude from thy
mercy even Jewish faithlessness: hear our prayers, which we offer for
the blindness of that people; that acknowledging the light of thy
Truth, which is Christ, they may be delivered from their darkness.
Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with
thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen
Good Friday Prayer for the
Jews.Revised
Let us pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God,
that they may continue to grow in the love of his name and in
faithfulness to his covenant. (Prayer in silence.) Almighty and eternal
God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity.
Listen to your Church as we pray that the people you first made your
own may arrive at the fullness of redemption. We ask this through
Christ our Lord. Amen
Relationships with Non-Christians
At Vatican II, this issue was one of the most
controversial
Implications of the Arab world
Anti-Jewish statements in Johns Gospel
Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity
Created by Pope John XXIII
Led by Cardinal Bea
Vague mandate
Ecumenical Dialogue
His Eminence, Cardinal Bea,
President for the Secretariat for
Promoting Christian Unity
Cardinal Bea meeting with Jewish Rabbi
Second Mandate: Interreligious Dialogue
November 1960
Second task: work on improving Jewish-
Catholic relations
Had some idea that this was leading up to
a Church council


Jules Isaac
Two trends in the Church
Anti-Jewish
Biblical Faithful to historical Christ