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Goans have deep religious fervour: Cardinal BY MELVYN MISQUITA
In a multi-cultural society like India, where Christianity is a minority religion, there is a tendency to perceive inter-religious dialogue as evangelism, thereby creating suspicion among other faiths. Elsewhere, others may think that if inter-religious dialogue is so important, has the proclamation of the Gospel message lost its urgency. The answer again is no and no. We must be cautious against two tendencies. One tendency is to close ourselves and to say all other religions are evil. The church does not accept this tendency. Jesus Himself taught us to be open to others. The other tendency is to say everything is equal and this too is unacceptable as it would lead to relativism and syncretism. Therefore, we need to have a dialogue, always with the intention of presenting Jesus to others. How does the PCIRD understand inter-religious dialogue? Is it seen as "tolerant", "mutual respect" or "accommodative"? The first aim is to know other religions and then to have mutual respect. Both know each other and should respect each other. Religions can be a witness to God in a world filled with consumerism and materialism. Religions need to collaborate among each other for civilisation of the world. The work you wrote in 1983, "Dictionary of Religions" is seen by many as a study text in the history of religions. Do you see a common thread among religions and how can this help in inter-religious dialogue? It was specifically written with an aim, since we live in a reality where people have a close contact with other religions. Therefore, there is always a need for a dialogue, to know others so that we may live peacefully together. When one speaks of inter-religious dialogue, one often thinks of a reflection of a doctrinal nature on common religious topics, such as the idea of God, sin, salvation, etc. But religions in India differ in their foundations. How then does one go ahead with inter-religious dialogue. It is possible to have a dialogue with other religions on doctrinal matters. This requires an appropriate and profound formation to engage in this dialogue. This most important is the dialogue of life. What are the obstacles that can slow down dialogue between religions? Suspicion among other faiths, violence and war are obstacles to the dialogue between religions. Different situations pose different challenges. For instance in the west, people always ask "How can you have a dialogue with the Muslims at this moment? Because of the media, most people tend to think that all Muslims are terrorists. Thanks to God, there are millions of Muslims who never even think of terrorism. What has been your experience during your brief stay in Goa? It has been a very positive experience and Goa has a very rich cultural reality. When I met Cardinal Ivan Dias in Rome and told him that I was going to Goa, he was very happy and told me that I must visit the tomb of St Francis Xavier. On the same day, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI also encouraged me to visit Bom Jesus Basilica. When we celebrated Mass at Pilar on Monday, I was very touched by the fervour and deep religiosity of the Goans. During that time, I could rediscover my own faith. What is your message to the Goan Catholics who live in a multi-cultural society? The Goan people have given me a very beautiful witness to their faith. They have shown me the task of the PCC. They have shown it through the testimony of their lives, that they are living this evangelisation of cultures. Continue being proud of being Catholics, so that you can present Christ to others with gentleness and kindness. [Comments on this article] To comment on this report, please Click Here to contact Melvyn Misquita. |
