There was a significant increase in numbers at this year’s Greenhills Ecumenical Conference in Drogheda yesterday. More than a hundred people from north and south of the border, gathered to hear Dr Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, give the key note address on ‘Interfaith Dialogue – An opportunity for Ireland?’ in the packed library hall of Greenhillls Secondary School.Among those present at the forty second ecumenical conference, was the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, the Rev David Clarke, Dr Séan Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, Bishop Anthony Farquhar and Bishop Gerard Clifford, and representatives of the Church of Ireland, Methodist and Non Subscribing Presbyterian Church. A novelty this year was the presence of representatives of the Jewish and Moslem communities.
In his address, Dr Martin underlined the principle theological difficulties which must be addressed by inter-religious dialogue.
The Vatican document on interfaith dialogue, Nostra Aetate, had made some Christians feel insecure and ‘that in some way the fundamental affirmation of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in the economy of redemption was being undermined,’ said Dr Martin.
Years later, in 1986, when John Paul II gathered religious leaders in Assisi to pray for peace, there was still a fear of syncretism, ‘an indiscriminate confusion, founded on a relativistic philosophical understanding, about the distinctive identity and nature of various religions,’ even though the event enjoyed wide public support.
On that occasion, the Pope himself was eager to reassure his critics: ’The fact that we have come here does not imply any intention of seeking a religious consensus among ourselves or of negotiating our faith convictions,’ said Dr Martin quoting Pope John Paul II.
At Assisi, in fact, people of different religions, had “come together to pray”, but had not “come to pray together”, and the sessions of prayer were separate for the different religions.
After the event, John Paul II, brought out the controversial letter ‘Dominus Jesus’, which reasserted ‘the definitive and complete character of the revelation of Jesus Christ.’
‘The document stresses that only the revelation of Jesus Christ introduces into our history a universal and ultimate truth which stirs the human mind to ceaseless effort,’ said Dr Martin.
While the document unambiguously stresses a distinction between theological faith and belief in the other religions, it also underlines that God, who is love, does not fail to make himself present in many ways, to entire peoples through their spiritual riches.
On the twentieth anniversary of the Assisi event, Pope Benedict spoke of interfaith dialogue. ‘He noted that “when the religious sense reaches maturity it gives rise to a perception in the believer that faith in God, Creator of the universe and Father of all, must encourage relations of universal brotherhood among human beings”’, said Dr Martin.
This affirmation that God is the Father of all is the theological foundation to show that religious difference cannot be a pretext for an ‘aggressive attitude towards other human beings.’
‘Demonstrations of violence cannot therefore be attributed to religion as such but to the cultural limitations with which it is lived and develops in time.’
Dr Martin said a vision of inter-religious dialogue based on the human and spiritual unity of our origins and our destiny would focus on a quest for common values, like the longing for justice, respect for human rights, freedom of religion and the defence of life.
He said all believers must reinforce the idea, that pluralist, does not mean secularist, and in a country which has one of the highest rates of youth suicide in the world, must bring a ‘credible witness to the question about the meaning and purpose of life, for each individual, for Irish society and for humanity as a whole.’
He concluded that inter-religious dialogue and understanding had a value in itself and for Christians not to promote this dialogue would be to renounce ‘an integral part of its mission, namely that of fostering in our world an understanding of the unity of humankind, in that we are all children of the same God.’
Representing the Islamic community, Dr Mamoun Mobayad from the Northern Ireland Faith Forum, said that sometimes there was a fear with inter faith dialogue that people end up diluting their beliefs. The dialogue (a word he did not like, preferring words like ‘living together’ or conversing), had to be based on mutual understanding and respect. ‘Thinking of the unity of our origin and destiny, will help us to work together,’ he said.
Judith Charry from the Irish Jewish community, said that what Dr Martin said ‘was valid for everyone.’
Bernadette Dunne from Castleknock commented on the informative group sessions following Dr Martin’s address. ‘You learn so much from listening and everyone has something to add,’ she said.