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A. GC 34

Jesuit mission was described as “service of faith that does justice in dialogue with religions and cultures.”

a. “no service of faith without promotion of justice, entry into cultures, openness to other religious experiences;

b. no promotion of justice without communicating faith, transforming cultures, collaboration with other traditions;

c. no inculturation without communicating faith with others, dialogue with other traditions, commitment to justice;

d. no dialogue without sharing faith with others, evaluating cultures, concern for justice.”

Dialogue has four aspects, manifestations, expressions

1. Dialogue of life (being)
2. Dialogue of action (doing)
3. Dialogue of study (thinking, learning, examining)
4. Dialogue of religious experience (spirit)

GC34 created Secretariat for Interreligious Dialogue

1. Preparation of young Jesuits
2. Four seminars of Jesuit relations with Jews
3. Muslim-Christian Seminars
4. Seminars on Christian ecumenism

B. GC 35

Benedict XVI:

1. Told the Jesuits “to reach the geographical and spiritual places where others do not reach or find it difficult to reach.”
2. to recognize the signs of the presence and work of God in every part of the world, even beyond the confines of the visible Church, to build bridges of understanding and dialogue with those who do not belong to the Church or who have difficulty accepting its position and message.

Decree 2: “plunge ourselves more deeply into that dialogue with religions that may show us that the Holy Spirit is at work all over the world that God loves.”

“All men and women are our concern for dialogue and for proclamation . . . to discover Jesus Christ where we have not noticed him before and to reveal him where he has not been seen before.”

The mission of the Society directs us to reach out “to persons who differ from us in culture and religion, aware that dialogue with them is integral also to our service of Christ’s mission.”

Decree 6: “We are enriched by members of our own faith, but also by people from other religious traditions, those women and men of good will from all nations and cultures, with whom we labor in seeking a more just world.”

“If the heart of an Ignatian work is the Spiritual Exercises, how can the dialogue of religious experience with those who are not Christians enrich our prayer life and create opportunities for further collaboration?

Decree 3: reviews how the Jesuit history of interreligious encounters and dialogue predates Vatican II by 400 years. Only with the documents of Vatican II did the Catholic Church formally adopt dialogue as a primary outreach to other Christians, to followers of other religions, and to all people; yet, forty-three years after its close, interreligious dialogue remains on the margins of ministry, theological study, and spiritual formation in the church.

With such a long and rich history and the endorsement of two GCs, Jesuits and their collaborators should be among present-day pioneers crossing the frontiers of interreligious dialogue. Decree 3 identifies fresh challenges: globalization, a thirst for spiritual experience often sought outside institutional religion, “religious fundamentalism,” the growing gap between rich and poor due to social, economic, and political forces, and transnational and other forms of exploitation fomenting conflict and violence.

C. A Common Ground (13 Oct 2007)

1.  First commandment: love God above all things.
2. Second commandment: love your neighbor as yourself
3. Muslims and Christians must not see one another as opposed, as enemies.

“Finding common ground between Muslims and Christians is not simply a matter for polite dialogue between religious leaders. Christianity and Islam are the largest religions in the world and in history. Together they make up more than 55% of the world’s population, making the relationship between these two religious communities the most important factor in contributing to meaningful peace around the world. If Muslims and Christians are not at peace, the world cannot be at peace. With the terrible weaponry of the modern world, with Muslims and Christians intertwined everywhere as never before, no side can unilaterally win a conflict between more than half of the world’s inhabitants. Our common future is at stake. The very survival of the world itself is perhaps at stake.  And to those who nevertheless relish conflict and destruction for their own sake or reckon that ultimately they stand to gain through them, we say that our very eternal souls are also at stake if we fail to sincerely make every effort to make peace and come together in harmony. So let our differences not cause hatred and strife between us. Let us vie with each other only in righteousness and good works. Let us respect each other, be just and kind to another and live in sincere peace, harmony and mutual goodwill.”

D. First International Islamic Conference on Dialogue, Mecca, 4-6 June 2008

The participants discussed:

1. Islamic legitimacy for Dialogue

a. The cause of the differences between nations and peoples, as well as their religious and cultural distinction is the will of God.  This requires that they know one another and cooperate in order to serve their interests, solve their problems, live with good manners, and vie with one another in constructing the earth and performing good deeds. (The Holy Qur'an, 5:48)

b. Dialogue represents an authentic Quranic methodology and a Prophetic tradition through which the Prophets communicated with their people. The biography of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) presents a clear example in the dialogue with the Christians of Najran and his correspondence with great emperors and monarchs. Therefore, dialogue is one of the most important means of spreading Islam throughout the world.

c. The Madina society that was established by the Prophet (pbuh) is the optimal model of positive coexistence of the followers of divine messages. The Madinah document is a source of pride that may be emulated for civilized coexistence.

2. Methodology and rules of dialogue

3. With whom will we engage in dialogue?

4. The themes of Dialogues

Final Declaration to all governments, organizations and peoples irrespective of their religions and cultures: calls on them to undertake the following:

1. Foster understanding that we believe in God as the creator, worship Him alone and seek the guidance He revealed to His prophets and messengers.

2. Challenge injustice, tyranny, despotism, and hegemony; strive to end wars, conflicts and international problems. Work for promotion of a culture of tolerance and dialogue; support institutions promoting dialogue. Use dialogue to achieve understanding, cooperation and world peace. Desist from wasting human resources and exploiting the talents of individuals in the production of weapons of mass destruction.

3. Cooperate for the promotion of moral values and provide solutions for the dangers surrounding the family to secure the right of all to live in a happy family.

4. Work together to live in an environment devoid of all types of pollution. Minimize environmental damage with common actions that seek to lessen its consequences and guide industrial technological advancement.

5. Cooperate to eliminate corruption and unhappiness. “We sent thee as a mercy for all creatures.” (The Holy Qur'an, 21:107)

E. The World Conference on Dialogue, Madrid, 16-18 July 2009

Recommendations:

1. Reject theories that call for clash of civilizations and cultures, and warn against campaigns that seek to deepen dispute and destabilize peace and coexistence.

2. Strengthen common human values, cooperate in spreading them in societies.

3. Build a culture of tolerance and mutual understanding through dialogue.

4. Agree on the rules of dialogue among the followers of religions and cultures in order to strengthen stability and achieve prosperity.

5. Work for a document by the government and NGOs that includes respect for religions and their symbols, as well as incrimination of those who commit such denigration.