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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: 2MAR$ who wrote (13004)	5/4/2001 10:48:36 AM
From: Neocon	Respond to of 82486

Did you notice that the version of the Catholic Encyclopedia that is on- line is from 1908, presumably due to copyright problems? This is before much had been done to promote inter- religious understanding, and is certainly not typical of what I have encountered when the topic has come up.

To: 2MAR$ who wrote (13004)	5/4/2001 11:07:58 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE On Pentecost Sunday, 1964, Pope Paul VI instituted a special department of the Roman Curia for relatons with the people of other religions. Know at first as the Secretariat for Non Christians, in 1988 it was renamed the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID). A) Nature and Goals of PCID The PCID is the central office of the Catholic Church for the promotion of interreligious dialogue in accordance with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, in particular the declaration "Nostra Aetate". It has the following responsabilities: 1) to promote mutual understanding, respect and collaboration between Catholics and the followers of others religious traditions; 2) to encourage the study of religions; 3) to promote the formation of persons dedicated to dialogue. N.B. It should be noted that the PCID does not have responsability for Christian-Jewish relations. These are the competence of the Commission for religious Relations with Jews, which comes under the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. B) Methodology of PCID 1) Dialogue is a two-way communication. It implies speaking and listening, giving and receiving, for mutual growth and enrichment. It includes witness to one's own faith as well as an openess to that of the other. It is not a betrayal of mission of the Church, nor is it a new method of conversion to Christianity. This has been clearly stated in the encyclical letter of Pope John Paul II "Redemptoris Missio". This view is also developed in the two documents produced by the PCID: The Attitude of the Catholic Church towards the Followers of Other Religious Traditions: reflections on Dialogue and Mission (1984), e Dialogue and Proclamation (1991). 2) Although the PCID is the central office for dialogue in the Catholic Church, dialogue is mainly carried out in and through the Local Churches. Many Local Churches have dialogue commissions, at the national or regional level. The PCID works in close collaboration with these, and encourages their formation where they do not yet exist. 3) The ecumenical dimension of interreligious dialogue is kept in mind. The PCID has an ongoing relationship with the corresponding office in the World Council of Churches. 4) The PCID restricts itself to religious questions. Its brief does not extend to socio-political issues. The Roman Curia has various departments, each with its own specific competence. Broader issues are discussed in inter-departmental meetings. C) Structure of the PCID 1) Decision-making body: this is composed of the Members of the Council, about 30 in number, Cardinals and Bishops, from different parts of the world. Every two or three years a Plenary Assembly is held in order to discuss important issues and to set guidelines for the work of the Council. 2) Advisory body: the PCID has about 50 advisors, called Consultors, specialists in religious studies or in the practice of interreligious dialogue, residing in all continents. They assist the PCID through their research, information and suggestions. Periodically meetings of Consultors are held, often on a continental level. 3) Executive body: the permanent staff in Rome, made up of President, Secretary, Under-Secretary, bureau chief for Islam, staff members for Africa and Asia, a staff member for New Religious ovements, an administrative assistant and support staff. D) Activities 1) Welcoming Visitors. The PCID receives many visits from religious leaders. They are invited to dialogue with staff members. Where appropriate Audiences are arranged with H.H. the Pope. There are also meetings with bishops coming to Rome for their five-yearly "ad limina" visits, and with other groups of visitors. 2) Visits. The President and the Secretary visit local Churches to become more familiar with the local situation and to encourage dialogue. On these occasions they visit leaders of other religions and different institutions in order to promote better understanding and collaboration. 3) Meetings. The Council organizes dialogue meetings, or more often participates in such meetings organized by oher bodies, at regional, national or international levels. These meetings may be bilateral or multilateral. 4) Publications. A number of books and pamphlets have been published on different aspects of interreligious dialogue. The Council usually publishes the Acts of the dialogue meetings it organizes. A bulletin, called "Pro Dialogo", is published regularly three times a year, containing significant Church texts on dialogue, articles, and news of dialogue activities throughout the world. An Interreligious Dialogue Directory has also been published. E) Commission for religious relations with Muslims The PCID has a special commission for relations with Muslims. This is composed of a President, Vice-President and Secretary, and has a small group of eight Consultors. It engages in studies on different aspects of Christian-Muslim relations. F) Foundation "Nostra Aetate" The PCID has set up a Foundation whose purpose is to promote dialogue, mainly by according grants to people of other religious who wish to study Christianity. vatican.va

To: 2MAR$ who wrote (13004)	5/4/2001 11:09:26 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

MESSAGE OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE TO THE HINDUS ON THE FEAST OF DIWALI (27 OCTOBER 2000) Dear Hindu Friends, I am pleased to offer my cordial greetings to all of you on the occasion of the joyful feast of Diwali. Children, young adults or older persons, you all await with great longing for this feast because every year, like fresh air, it restores your religious vigour and enhances in you a renewed purpose to continue on the path which is prescribed by your religious tradition. I believe that such feasts are not purely social events but are, so to speak, meaningful junctures in the life of human beings who are essentially religious by nature. Feasts, such as Diwali, are therefore particularly a time to reflect on the deeper and ultimate purpose of our life. According to our calendar, which is also widely followed in the world, this year is an important one for us Christians as we commemorate the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Many celebrations are being held throughout the world, but especially in Rome and in the land where Jesus was born, and where he taught, suffered, died and rose again. In the celebration of this event, people who do not share the same faith in Jesus Christ are not forgotten. Indeed the Catholic Church lays special emphasis on deepening friendship between Christians and people of other religious traditions. We are convinced that together we can achieve much for the good of the world. We see, for example, that our two religious traditions, Hindu and Christian, each according to its distinctive teachings, give the mystery of God the highest place in human life. Referring to the Ultimate Truth, the Sanatana Dharma states: “Permanent among the impermanent, Conscious among the conscious, the One among the many…the surveyor of all actions, dwelling in all creatures, the witness… the unique, free from all attributes; Eye cannot see him, nor words reveal him…he is utter fullness” (cf. Katha U. V,13; Svet.U. VI,11; Mund. U. III, 1, 8; Brihad.U. V,1,10). Christians believe that Jesus Christ reveals the fullness of God’s Mystery: He is “the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth…And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace…grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known” (John 1:14-18). Jesus taught love of neighbour and showed compassion, particularly for the poor. He called for a spirit of forgiveness and forgave those who were putting him to death. He showed himself to be the Redeemer, liberating those who are in the bonds of ignorance and sin. Is not Jesus thus a model and a permanent message for humanity? It is my sincere wish and prayer that we Hindus and Christians, through our mutual respect, esteem and friendship, may become concrete examples and a proof of harmony and peace for many others throughout India and beyond. May the world around us, particularly the world of the oppressed, the marginalised, the forgotten ones and the innocent victims of injustice, feel the warmth of our growing friendship. May both Christians and Hindus continue to grow in mutual respect and understanding and be enriched together in order that they may contribute to building peace and harmony in our world. A spirit of openness and dialogue has been characteristic of both our respective traditions. While acknowledging the fundamental differences in our two religions, if nevertheless we show each other respect this will help not only for our own mutual enrichment but will serve as an example and an encouragement to the religious world at large. It is Pope John Paul II who, during his last journey to India, reminded us once again that the “Catholic Church wants to enter ever more deeply into dialogue with the religions of the world. She sees dialogue as an act of love which has its roots in God himself. ‘God is love’, proclaims the New Testament, ‘and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him…Let us love, then, because he has loved us first…no one who fails to love the brother whom he sees can love God whom he has not seen’ (First Letter of St. John, 4:16, 19-20)” [Meeting at Vigyan Bhavan with Representatives of Other Religions and Christian Confessions, 7th November 1999]. 7. It is in this spirit that I renew my greetings and send best wishes for a life of peace and serenity. Happy Diwali! Cardinal Francis Arinze, President vatican.va

To: 2MAR$ who wrote (13004)	5/4/2001 11:12:22 AM
From: Neocon	Respond to of 82486

Christians and Buddhists: Communities of Forgiveness and Compassion It gives me great pleasure, as President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, to present to you once again my heartfelt greetings on the occasion of Vesakh, the feast which commemorates great events in the life of Gautama Siddartha Buddha. This feast offers an opportunity for Christians to visit their Buddhist neighbours and friends to exchange greetings, and this helps to strengthen bonds of friendship that already exist and to create new ones. This annual message thus becomes like a bridge between Buddhists and Christians which is constantly being built and consolidated. I thank God for this and pray, on my part, that the relations between Christians and Buddhists may continue to grow stronger. In three years time people all over the world will be celebrating the coming of a new millenium. For Christians the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 will commemorate the Birth of Jesus Christ. For us, as Pope John Paul II has said, "this time of expectation is a time of reflection, inviting us to make an assessment, as it were, of mankind's journey in the sight of God, the Lord of history". Echoing this call of His Holiness, I would like to invite Buddhists and Christians to set out together on a true pilgrimage of peace. Starting from the concrete situation in which we find ourselves, let us seek peace along the paths of forgiveness by drawing upon the genuine patrimony of our religious traditions. Time and again the Dhammapada reminds us of Buddha's words which are inspired by the logic of non-violence, compassion and love. He says, "Among those who hate, blessed are we who live without hatred; in the midst of people who hate, we remain free from hatred" (Dh. 197); and again, "the winner engenders hatred and the loser dwells in distress; peaceful man rests tranquil abandoning simultaneously both winning and losing (Dh. 201). Amidst the situations in our world marked by revenge, violent hatred and destructive wars we need to encourage people to ask and grant forgiveness because it is by its nature liberating. "Forgiveness, in its truest and highest form, is a free act of love. But precisely because it is an act of love, it has its own intrinsic demands: the first of which is respect for the truth... Where lies and falsehood are sown, there suspicion and division flourish... Another essential requisite for forgiveness and reconciliation is justice...There is no contradiction between forgiveness and justice. Forgiveness neither eliminates nor lessens the need for the reparation which justice requires, but seeks to integrate individuals and groups into society, and States into the community of Nations" (Pope John Paul II, Message for the World Day of Peace, 1 January 1997). Could we who belong to the Buddhist and Christian communities not meet more often in order to remind our respective members of the important contribution all are called to make to world peace by becoming people of compassion and forgiveness? While extending to you, on behalf of the Catholics in the world, cordial wishes of peace and joy, I renew the expression of my friendship. Francis Cardinal Arinze President vatican.va