Q.- What is the objective of the gathering?
A.- The Plenary Assembly of the International Union of Women Superiors General, which gathered some 900 Women Superiors General in May 2007, presented five challenges as the more important themes of reflection for the Union, and one of them was the “Interreligious Dialogue.” For this reason, the Executive Council of the Union decided to choose the theme, “Interreligious Dialogue, a Call of the Religions of the World to Prophetism and Mysticism,” as topic of study of the Meeting of Delegate- Councilors of the IUWSG, which was held in Bangalore, India from December 5-13, 2008. Aside from the 7 members of the Executive Council, there were 43 delegates of the different circumscriptions from all parts of the world, 54 Women Superior Generals and an assistant, present in the said gathering.
Q.- Why the theme, “Interreligious Dialogue”?
A.- Because it is a challenge of great actuality and importance. It is enough to think that of the six billion population of the world, 33% are Christians (18% of which are Catholics), 17% Muslims, 13% Hindus, 7% Buddhists, and 0.5% Jews. Moreover, there are others who adhere to traditional religions like Sikhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Bah’ism and Shintoism. In the contemporary world, to be a religious means to be interreligious. It constitutes a demand in this religious pluralistic world.
Q.- Why in India?
A.- Because of the extensive presence of religions existing in that country, because of the spirituality of its people, and because of the numerous presence of religious life in India. The complexity of the country is enormous. The population of India in 2001 was1.02 billions with 28 states, 23 languages (844 different dialects), 10 religions and 3 Catholic rites(Latin, Syro-malabar and Syro-malankara). 85% of the population belong to the Hindu religion. 12 % are Muslims, 2.5% Christians and the rest are Sikhs, Buddhists, Jainists, etc. These data show the complexity of the situation in India.
Q.- What can be said about religious life in India?
A.- The Conference of Religious has three groups: the priests, the religious brothers and the religious sisters. The Conference has a president and each group has its own president. There are 292 religious institutes with a total number of 92,000 religious women and 20,000 religious men. In the last 20 years, 200 new institutes were established in India. Some 45 millions of the populace live in extreme poverty with 1.30 dollars a day. It is said that 33% of the poor of the whole world are found in India.
I would dare to describe the people of India in two words: welcoming and hospitable. Q.- What is the relation between interreligious dialogue and fundamentalism?
A.- Fundamentalism is contrary to interreligious dialogue. It uses religion for egoistic motives to obtain economic interests. The Pharisees were hypocrite fundamentalists, since they were using religion with political and economic interests. During the meeting, some incidents of violence of the Hindus against the Muslims were recalled. In 2002, they killed more than 2,500 Muslims, as they are against Christians. They did not talk to us about the violence against the Christians in Orissa in the last years.
Q.- What are the causes of these violence and insecurity?
A.- It could be attributed to foreign colonization. India was dominated by the Muslims for 700 years, and by the English for 300 years. Today, the Hindu fundamentalists, following the Italian fascism and Hitler’s nationalism, want India for Hindus. They believe that the Muslims and Christians ought to leave India, that they must be converted to Hinduism, or that they ought to serve the Hindus without any right. Actually, India has a billion population. 85% of which are Hindus, 12% Muslims and 25% Christians.
The party “Hindutva” advocates fundamentalism, imitating Italian fascism and Hitler’s nationalism. When this movement emerged in 1925, they were able to obtain 2 seats in the parliament, but today, they have 200 members of the parliament and govern 7 states. Their motto is: One Nation, One Religion, One Culture and One People. One superior general alluded to the violence and transgression experienced by one of her religious sisters in Orissa. Hatred towards Christians, violent attacks against churches, convents and religious centers were discussed.
Q.- What can be said of the people of India?
A.- I would dare to describe the people of India in two words: welcoming and hospitable, with their “atiti devo bava”, “tilak” (ritual that marks the top of sandal), or the water of rose or garland. And they are also spiritual. Numerous temples are scattered all over India and they have so many gestures that imply or seek the blessings of God.
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Interreligious Dialogue |
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At the end of the gathering, they asked me to express my opinion about the theme. I made a synthesized reflection. Interreligious dialogue implies: Pilgrims: I would say that interreligious dialogue is like a process, a way, a pilgrimage in search for God. Paul VI likened interreligious dialogue to “pilgrims who walk to encounter God in the human heart.” All of us, whether consciously or unconsciously, search for the truth, beauty, happiness. In short, we search for God. Our father Saint Augustine is the best example of this restlessness, of this pilgrimage in search for God. Dialogue: If all religions sincerely search for God, if the last purpose of life is God, we have to dialogue about this source of spirituality and restlessness who is God. We are, I would say, obliged to dialogue. But in order to have a profound dialogue, we ought to possess a proper, precise and identifiable spiritual identity. Just knowing who I am, I can know the other. We ought to accept and to talk about that which separates us and about the values that unite us. This clear specific spiritual identity ought to move us to coherence and testimony, because, these are distinct, visible, palpable aspects of our belief and religiosity. Conversion: Interreligious dialogue demands conversion of the heart because God dwells in the most profound part of our heart. It is worth recalling the meaningful gesture of John Paul II, when , on March 12, 2000, he sought pardon from the world and God for the sins of the Church for the past millennia. It is necessary to be converted to avoid prejudice, hostility. We ought to break barriers, to look for closeness among persons who yearn for God, who longs to be united to God. Formation: A dialogue without sufficient spiritual and doctrinal preparation would create personal and collective difficulties and restlessness. We need theology, special courses to deepen our faith and our personal spiritual experience, before entering into a fruitful dialogue with other religions. In order to avoid syncretism, a clear identity is needed. Charism: “Interreligious dialogue forms part of the evangelizing mission of the Church.” (Vita Consecrate 102). Therefore, it ought to assume that challenge as part of the mission of religious life. This dialogue will be more identifiable and fruitful, if it is accompanied by a testimony of a poor, humble, chaste life, not far from the different cultural and religious contexts where we move. Respect and Collaboration: It is not necessary to discriminate persons according to one’s religious conscience. Religious beliefs ought not to be feared, but the followers who use them for their own interests (dangers of religious fundamentalism). Interreligious dialogue ought to bring us to collaboration in those sectors that diverse religious beliefs have in common, like commitment to life and family, to love and nature, to the displaced and the poor, etc. |