1. Dialogue: the obligatory path of the mission apostolate

The following are a few brief remarks that will help us to understand what exactly inter-religious dialogue means.
o We begin with the observation that the missio ad gentes is not limited to proclamation and witness; it involves other activities, among which is inter-religious dialogue. RMi speaks about this subject in the chapter entitled "The Paths of the Mission" (55-57) and affirms that inter-religious dialogue "is a part of the Church's evangelizing mission" (55).
o Inter-religious dialogue is a dialogue of salvation are the words of Dialogue and Proclamation (DP) published jointly by the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (May 19, 1991). The main motive for the Church to engage in dialogue is theological in nature: "God, in an age-long dialogue, has offered and continues to offer salvation to humankind. In faithfulness to the divine initiative, the Church too must enter into a dialogue of salvation with all men and women" (38). Paul VI in his encyclical Ecclesiam Suam does not hesitate to affirm "the Church where one engages in dialogue" and "the Church becomes word" (192).
o Dialogue does not originate from tactical concerns or self-interest, it has precise religious motives: respect for everything that has been brought about in human beings by the Spirit; the importance of uncovering those "seeds of the Word" that can be found in religious traditions, together with those "signs of the presence of the Spirit" which will help us to understand better the message we bear (RMi, 56).
o Dialogue presupposes the equality of those who engage in it; this equality "refers to the equal personal dignity of the parties in dialogue, not to doctrinal content, nor even less to the position of Jesus Christ - who is God himself made man - in relation to the founders of the other religions" (Dominus Jesus [DJ] 22).
o The forms of dialogue are many. There is the dialogue of life (living together, sharing with others); the dialogue of work where Christians collaborate with one another in promoting human welfare; the dialogue of theological exchange to understand one another's religious heritage; the dialogue of religious experience where we share our spiritual riches - in prayer and the search for God (DP, 42).
o Dialogue does not free us from the obligation of proclamation - rather this is its ultimate goal. Dialogue is but one of the Church's activities in its missio ad gentes (DJ 22).

2. To Feel and Carry Out Dialogue

These are the main attitudes and operative guidelines of inter-religious dialogue.
a. The courage to engage in inter-religious dialogue is the first attitude to stress. It would be pointless to hide those real difficulties we will encounter on the path of dialogue. These difficulties can at times lead us to a certain pessimism about whether it can achieve anything or is even worth the effort. It sometimes appears that this desire for dialogue is entirely on the Christian side; this can stifle the growth of our interior attitudes or our will to do anything concrete - this is especially the case with intransigent religious groups. Our traditions give us no clear indications on this subject; in the past dialogue was not part of the Church's apostolic programs. Today, however, inter-religious dialogue is seen as indispensable for any kind of missionary apostolate. Under the influence of Vatican II our 1969 Chapter recommended that we establish "relations of respect and dialogue with those who belong to non-Christian religions, recognizing that God in His love wishes to save all men (I Tim 2,4) and that in all religions one find the seeds and traces of His truth" (190; Cf. 191-193). The XCG prompted by those difficulties missionaries encounter in this activity, made a strong and clear appeal: "thus inter-religious dialogue entered with full credentials the field of the missio ad gentes and we can no longer dispense ourselves from it. Also because, in Africa, we are in constant, tormenting and difficult contact with Islam; just about everywhere we meet the traditional religions and new religions movements. We have begun a new opening in Asia, where inter-religious dialogue has great importance" (79).

b. A desire to get to know each other is the next step. Ignorance of others generates suspicion while knowledge leads to mutual respect. This is especially true with regard to religion. "Insufficient knowledge and understanding of the belief and practices of other religions, leading to a lack of appreciation for their significance and even at times to misrepresentation" (Dialogue and Proclamation 52 b).

c. Ability to listen. This is a third indispensable prerequisite for dialogue. Listening requires inner calm, freedom and intelligence. This is what the Pope has to say about this: "This missionary duty, […] does not prevent us from approaching dialogue with an attitude of profound willingness to listen. We know in fact that, in the presence of the mystery of grace, infinitely full of possibilities and implications for human life and history, the Church herself will never cease putting questions, trusting in the help of the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth (cf. John 14:17), whose task it is to guide her 'into all the truth'" (John 16:13)" (NMI 56) . This inner readiness to listen will make it possible for us to perceive the positive aspects that exist in people of all religious confessions.

d. The fourth attitude is to be always identified with our faith. "Insufficient grounding in one's own faith" is the first obstacle to dialogue (DP 52 a). Redemptoris Missio tells us: "Those engaged in this dialogue must be consistent with their own religious traditions and convictions, and be open to understanding those of the other party without pretense or close-mindedness, but with truth, humility and frankness, knowing that dialogue can enrich each side. There must be no abandonment of principles nor false irenicism […] Dialogue leads to inner purification and conversion which, if pursued with docility to the Holy Spirit, will be spiritually fruitful" (56).

e. Thinking in new ways: this is probably the attitude that asks the most of us. Nonetheless the recent Chapter urges us in no uncertain terms to achieve this. Here are a few especially effective statements that merit our consideration: "The Gospel cannot announced as if outside it there were no possibility of truth and salvation [...] There can exist inter-religious dialogue only between two people who have made an authentic experience of God" (XCG 79-80). Moving on to the working suggestions the Chapter does not hesitate to describe a very demanding process for dialogue. After inviting us to engage in inter-religious dialogue " as a facet, an activity and a new method of the Mission today" the Chapter asks each missionary to train himself for dialogue and to acquire those attitudes necessary for its successful practice. "Let him shed any attitude of auto sufficiency, closeness, ideological intolerance and fundamentalism, and set himself in a state of conversion so as to live his faith in depth and with all conviction " (81).

This is an area we have not much explored and yet certain convictions have emerged with clarity: the mission is of God - we are but his humble collaborators; the characteristic and decisive motivating factor in authentic inter-religious dialogue is that love the Holy Spirit puts in our hearts. Love is a language every creature understands; it finds a spontaneous response in members of other religions and cultures. We must constantly grow in this love; we must live out the words of Jesus and follow the example of the Apostle of the Gentiles, making ourselves "all things to all men." In this context there will evolve a spontaneous and respectfully proclamation that does not seek to overwhelm but is rather an act of love.

The only way to achieve this is by emptying oneself internally, getting rid of all those ideas, prejudices and thoughts which make it difficult to approach our brothers in other religions and cultures. If we do this we will see the presence of the God who saves in the life of every creature.

SUGGESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

- Do you fully embrace the statement of RMi that dialogue "is a part of the Church's evangelizing mission" (55)? Would your own missionary experience lead you to agree with this?
- Have the events of September 11, 2001, modified your convictions vis-à-vis inter-religious dialogue and respect for people of other religious persuasions -particularly Muslims?
- What elements of the IMC charism inspire better attitudes for effective dialogue (closeness to the people, personal witness to Christ, give reasons for our hope)?
- Do you foster a courageous and active apostolate in line with Church teaching in your efforts to engage in inter-religious dialogue?
- Is dialogue really the new face, work and method of the missionary apostolate today in your eyes?
- Do you recognized any of your own attitudes that could prejudice dialogue: self-sufficiency, close-mindedness, ideological intolerance, fundamentalism? What can you do to "convert" these attitudes into dialogue?