Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Moscow (Fides Service) - Speaking at a conference ‘Islam and Christianity: on the path of dialogue’ held in Moscow, 24 November, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Vatican II Declaration Nostra aetate on Relations with non Christian Religions,Catholic Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz said “we are convinced that the presence of other Christian confessions in the Inter-religious Council of Russia has broadened its sphere of activity giving it greater dynamism and rendering its activity more effective”. The Conference held at United Mosque Conference Hall in Moscow was organised by CMR Russian Council of Mufti, the Religious Administration of Muslims in European Russia, the Catholic Mother of God archdiocese in Moscow, BBI Saint Andrew Apostle Biblical-Theological Institute and the Institute for European Civilisation.
CMR chairman mufti Ravil Gajnutdin said he was in favour of broadening the confessional composition of public organisations for inter-religious dialogue in Russia. “I am convinced that Christian-Muslim dialogue in Russia will bear fruit if it involves representatives of other branches of Christianity historically rooted in Russia, and Catholicism in Russia has deep historical roots” Ravil Gajnutdin said. “Dialogue between Muslims and Catholics over the last ten years has been a remarkable feature of religious life in our country”.
The Inter-religious Council of Russia is a public body composed of leading members of the four principal religious traditions in Russia: Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. The Council was formed in 1998.
In his address the Archbishop illustrated the iter of the declaration Nostra aetate which he said opened a new era in relations between the Catholic Church and non Christian religions encouraging Catholics to build “a relationship of respect with Muslims who adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth” and referring to series of doctrinal positions of Catholicism and Islam which foster dialogue: “According to the declaration Catholicism is very close to Islam because Muslims render glory to the same God, they recognise Christ as a prophet and venerate his mother Mary. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting”. Archbishop Kondrusiewicz said “the Second Vatican Council condemned the practice of “crusades”, presented positive characteristics of Islamic teaching, encouraged the search for the common heritage of Abraham and also joint social programmes”. He said Vatican II took “truly revolutionary” decisions and made an unprecedented statement that “other religions also possess seeds of the truth”. The Catholic Archbishop did not fail to mention the great contribution made by the late Pope John Paul II and the present Pope Benedict XVI to inter-religious dialogue.
Mufti Ravil Gajnutdin in his opening address, ‘Islam and the decisions taken by Vatican II,’ took an extremely positive attitude towards the Declaration and said “40 years ago there was a new beginning in inter-religious collaboration and dialogue”. For the first time in history, Gajnutdin said, the Catholic Church recognised Muslims not as enemies or heretics but as “participants with equal dignity in communication among individuals and nations”. The Mufti said Nostra aetate “started a movement of systematic reciprocal Muslim/Catholic activity at a world level” and he paid a tribute to Pope John Paul II : “we Muslims recognise John Paul II as a great religious reformer who exerted great influence to diffuse the ideas of the Second Vatican Council and inter-religious dialogue”. Gajnutdin said the new pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI is promising for progress in Muslim-Catholic dialogue founded on “spiritual relationship and submission to the one God”.
Participants at the conference included Catholics and Muslims, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, historians, experts in religion, publicists.
Russian Orthodox Church representative Fr. Igor Vyzhanov in his address to the participants said Nostra aetate is ever more relevant today in Europe where there exist acute problems of co-existence of Muslim and Christian cultures particularly in France. He said reciprocal relations between members of different religions must be based on charity which leaves no place for hostility, extremism and terrorism.
Aleksej Bodrov, rector of the BBI (an institute fully engaged in Christian-Muslim dialogue) said in his brief address that Nostra aetate was important not only for the Catholic Church but also for other Churches and other religions.
The theological and socio-cultural significance of Nostra aetate proposals today, the principles of inter-religious dialogue were illustrated in talks by Sheikh Farid Asadullin, Fr. Igor Kovalevskij, BBI professor Aleksej Zhuravskij, sociologist Mikhail Mchedlov, Imam-khatibi Mustafa Kjutjukchju and Rustam Musin, CMR councillor Vjacheslav-Ali Polosin, publicist Sergej Dzhannat Markus and others; there were a total of 14 interventions.
In conclusion the participants approved a Common Declaration which states among other things: “Christians and Muslims should make every effort to respond to the challenges of the times. In public life we see an increase in activities incompatible with religious convictions, and therefore consider it indispensable to hold regular inter-religious meetings to promote peace at the regional and federal level open on principle to followers of any religion interested in furthering mutual understanding and dialogue”.
The statement sets the principles of inter-religious dialogue in Russia and suggests concrete steps in collaboration, including inter-religious meetings, exchange of theology students, joint activity in the field of education, formation, charity work, social work to counter growing secularism, and inform secular public opinion and the Russian Orthodox Church of Catholic/Muslim inter-religious in Russia and elsewhere.
In conclusion director of Moscow Centre for Religious and Social research professor Anatolij Andreevich Krasnikov said: “As an Orthodox Christian and scholar I am amazed at the courage with which the Catholic Church admits the errors and faults of her sons and daughters in history with regard to people of other faiths. Vatican II set an example for all of us Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims in repentance before God and man. Now we must follow this example!”. (Agenzia Fides 29/11/2005, righe 91, parole 1.196)
