Jacob Parapally - Church's Dialogue With Cultures and Religions

Jacob Parapally
Church's Dialogue With Cultures and Religions

The Church’s commitment to dialogue with the Asian Reality of the plurality of cultures and religions finds expression in the documents of both the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC). The statements of the CBCI and the FABC reveal the struggle of a Church come of age to liberate herself from the burden of her links with the colonial powers in the past, her claims about possessing the monopoly of truth, her imported theology and forms of worship, her eurocentrism, her cultural alienation and her desire to become authentic local Churches with an Asian face. The Church becomes truly catholic when she is transformed by entering into dialogue with the cultures and religions of Asia and transforms them with the power of the Spirit who makes everything new.

Introduction

Dialogue is the life and breath of the Church in Asia. Her inner dynamism consists in her dialogue with the Kyrios, her Lord and Master, guided by the Spirit for the unfolding of God’s eternal plan for humanity. The Church has to dialogue with herself and with the context of her life in order to fulfil the ministry entrusted to her. It was the Church’s readiness to dialogue with herself that led her to the Second Vatican Council. In the Council she was liberated from the self-defeating heresy of monologue and triumphalism. Authentic dialogue involves not only the human logos but the Logos and the Pneuma of God. Therefore, the Federation of the Asian Bishops’ Conference gave a wider meaning even to interreligious dialogue to embrace all dimensions of human life, namely, ‘economic, socio-political, cultural and religious’. It stated in unambiguous terms that it is imperative for the Church to enter into dialogue with the Asian realities of the abject poverty of the masses and the plurality of religions and cultures:

Such dialogue has become urgent in many Asian countries, where, amidst conditions of oppressive poverty and increasing social conflicts, there is a quest for an integral liberation. The pluralism of religions and cultures, while demanding collaboration among the peoples of various religions in the common task of community building, especially in the face of secularizing forces, has also become a source of increasing division and tension (Rosales & Arevalo 1992: 120).

So dialogue has been accepted as the way of life for the Church in Asia and her way of proclaiming the Gospel.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, the Church in India and Asia has become increasingly aware of her meaningful existence as a being in dialogue with her context of multiplicity of religions and cultures, and massive poverty which we call the Asian Reality. In this article an attempt is made to highlight the Church’s dialogue with one of the aspects of the Asian Reality, namely, the plurality of religions and cultures as expressed in the documents of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and the Federation of the Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC). No claim is made that it is an exhaustive treatment of the subject of dialogue with this aspect of the Asian reality as articulated in the above documents. I have culled out the main points that emerged in the discussions and the deliberations of the Bishops’ Conferences on the Church’s response to the plurality of religions and cultures. Undoubtedly these documents reveal to us the bold attempts of the Church in Asia to initiate a process to discover her own identity in the Asian context and her eagerness to communicate the mission entrusted to her in dialogue with the cultures and religions of Asia. The process that has been initiated by the leaders of the Church must inspire further reflections and praxis.

Part I

Church’s Dialogue with the Cultures of Asia

Asia could not respond to the Gospel adequately as it was presented in symbols alien to the rich cultural and religious traditions of Asia. Christianity originated in Asia like Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Unlike Buddhism which is not considered a foreign religion though it has entered many Asian countries from outside, Christianity is considered foreign by the majority of the Asian people. Felix Wilfred observes that it is not because of Christianity’s particular faith that it is considered foreign but because the local Churches in Asia, by and large, keep themselves aloof from the mainstream of peoples’ life, history and struggles (Wilfred 1992: 120). Their failure to identify themselves with the people and their cultures did disservice to the proclamation of the Gospel. After the Second Vatican Council, concerted efforts were made by the Church to dialogue with the cultures so that the message of Christ could incarnate in the various cultures of Asia. Both the CBCI and the FABC documents reveal the effort of the Church to dialogue with the cultural context of her mission.

The Indian Church’s Attempt to Dialogue with Her Cultures

The Indian Church had made various attempts in the past to dialogue with the Indian Culture at various levels. A dialogue of life at the cultural level was already existing in some parts of the country, especially in the tribal areas, much before the talk of dialogue and inculturation gained currency after the Second Vatican Council. Terms like inculturation, adaptation, indianization, etc., presuppose the alien cultural character of the Indian Church. In recent times, therefore, the discussion goes on as to whether the Church should make patchwork adaptation of Indian cultural symbols for her life and worship or whether an attempt should be made to decolonize the Indian Church, divesting her of her colonial structure and lifestyle. Whatever that may be, to proclaim Christ and his message meaningfully the Church has to enter into dialogue with the Indian culture to allow herself to be transformed by everything good and noble and perfect in the culture, and to challenge everything dehumanizing in it, with prophetic courage and conviction.

At the General Meeting of the CBCI in 1960, Cardinal Gracius of Bombay pointed out the need to dialogue with the Indian cultural tradition for the removal of the prejudices against the Church and also for the effectiveness of her apostolate. He said:

Truth to be known and to be loved must be presented in a way adapted to the mentality of those to whom it is preached. The direct method presupposes a personal respect and a sincere esteem for Indian and Hindu traditions, languages and ways of thought. Adaptation is based on theology and is essential to the Catholicity of the Church. In brief, therefore, three conditions are necessary for a fruitful apostolate: a) a solid knowledge of the language; b) a sincere love and esteem for the Indian culture and society; c) a firm conviction that the Church has nothing to lose, and much to gain from a deeper integration into the Indian social fabric (CBCI 1960: 56-57).

It may appear that our dialogue with cultures and religious traditions was for pragmatic reasons. Though Cardinal Gracius insists that it is based on theology and is essential to the catholicity of the Church, there was much confusion and suspicion about the nature and extent of the so-called adaptation. But there was a change in this attitude when the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship issued directives in the light of the liturgical renewal initiated by the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy. The CBCI constituted a Commission for Liturgy in 1966 and established the National Biblical Catechetical and Liturgical Centre at Bangalore to promote inculturation in the area of Christian worship.

In 1967-68 a pioneering attempt was made by a team of staff and students from Dharmaram College, Bangalore to shape an ‘Indian form of worship’. After the CBCI meeting, held in Dharmaram in 1968, Cardinal Parecattil, a strong advocate of the inculturation of Liturgy, entrusted Dharmaram College with the task of preparing an Indian Anaphora. Dharmaram College prepared a new liturgy incorporating important Indian elements of worship, Indian music and a new Anaphora taking into consideration Indian thought patterns. This liturgy was celebrated for some time for a selected group of people (Maliekal 1988: 288-290).

The NBCLC coordinated the work of experts who were entrusted with the task of preparing an inculturated liturgy. Their twelve proposals for the adaptation of liturgy in the Indian context and the suggestion to prepare an Indian Anaphora was submitted to Rome. The twelve points proposed, included the posture during the mass (squatting on the floor), panchanga pranam, simple liturgical dress, oil lamps, triple arati, etc. Rome welcomed the proposals. The guidelines issued by the CBCI for the preparation of an Indian Anaphora insisted that in continuity with the essential elements of the Judeo-Christian liturgical tradition, the Anaphora must express the Christian thanksgiving in forms and thought patterns harmonious with the Indian culture (CBCI 1972: 39). Following the guidelines a text for the eucharistic prayer was prepared. The Indian Anaphora included inspiring verses from Indian scriptures too.

At the CBCI General Meeting in Madras in 1972, sixty Bishops voted for the acceptance of the text of eucharistic prayer and twenty voted against it. But to the surprise and dismay of everyone involved in the preparation of a text for an Indian Anaphora, the same Sacred Congregation which encouraged the inculturation of the liturgy asked the CBCI to put an end to it. It asked the Conference to take concrete steps to prevent the circulation of the texts of non-biblical readings for liturgical purposes and the use of the new order of mass with the Indian Anaphora. It further ordered that any future attempts at inculturation should be first agreed upon by the Congregation of Divine Worship. At this juncture the CBCI did not make any attempt to clarify the misgivings of the Sacred Congregation or to ask the Congregation for an explanation for the rejection of the Indian Anaphora and the denial of freedom to take initiatives in dialoguing with culture in the field of liturgy.

The General Meeting of the CBCI at Mangalore in 1978 gave some guidelines for adaptation. The Latin group of the CBCI agreed ‘to initiate studies on elements of indigenization, submit concrete proposals to the Holy See and with the latter’s approval, to set up experimentation centres’ (1979:77). However, when the Liturgical Commission conducted a survey among the Bishops for this purpose, only 4 per cent answered the questionnaire sent to them. It revealed a lack of interest among the Bishops with regard to the inculturation of liturgy. Thus an enthusiastic dialogue of the Church with the culture in the field of liturgy lost its momentum though the relics of such attempts expressed themselves in some liturgical celebrations.

The Church in India is aware that dialogue with culture cannot be limited to the inculturation of her liturgy. There are various other dimensions of the culture both positive and negative which either help human beings to improve their quality of life or dehumanize them. The Meeting of the CBCI at Calcutta in 1974 was clear about this when it stated, "In both modern and traditional aspects there are elements which degrade and other elements which uplift. The evangelical task of the Church is therefore to promote the latter elements for the sake of integral development of the human person and human society" (1974: 126). While discussing the ways of the Church’s integration with the culture the same meeting pointed out that there is a need to fight against blind Westernization and cultural alienation (1974: 124). It identified the negative aspects of the Indian culture such as caste, dietary and marriage prohibitions, joint family system, restrictions on women, corruption, ethnic, linguistic and communal arrogance which need to be healed. Further, the Church’s dialogue with culture implied that the Church develop an indigenous theology. The CBCI, in its communication to the Synod of Rome (1974) expressed its commitment to this task. "The Church will realize her Indian identity; by adjusting herself to conditions prevailing in the country and developing an indigenous theology. Such a theology will be one of the primary tasks of the local Church, for it reflects on the implications of, and response to, the Word of God, within a particular, religio-cultural tradition" (1974: 124). This commitment of the Indian Church to an indigenous theology has initiated a process of developing a relevant theology in the Indian context.

The inculturation of the liturgy suffered a serious setback when the experiments in indigenization were stopped by the Vatican and it was demanded that future attempts receive its prior official approval. The Church’s dialogue with culture seems to face a serious problem when the Bishops who are responsible for the promotion of Christian life and proclamation in the local Church are not permitted to decide what is the right type of inculturation in their own context. If the role of the national Bishops’ conferences in promoting inculturation which is not prejudicial to the faith of the universal Church be not recognized, it can create not only serious ecclesiological problems but also prevent the effective and meaningful proclamation itself.

The Church’s dialogue with culture must also include other aspects of the Church like organization and administration, theological reflection, role of laymen and women in the Church, formation of Church leaders, etc. In Asia where cultures and religious traditions melt into each other, inculturation without religious overtones is unthinkable. In the Indian Church’s dialogue with culture, besides the setback it suffered due to the intervention of Rome, it also suffered the lack of wholehearted support from all the Bishops of India. In spite of such setbacks the dialogue with culture continues in art, music, architecture and theological reflection, thanks to the guidance of the Spirit.

The Orientations of the FABC for a Dialogue with the Asian Cultures

At the first meeting of the Asian Bishops in Manila in 1970, in the presence of Pope Paul VI, the Asian Bishops resolved to respond to the many faces of Asia to make the Church more effective in her service to all the people of Asia who form almost two-thirds of humankind. One of the many faces of Asia, identified by the Bishops for the Church’s response is its ancient and diverse cultures, religions, histories and traditions. The Bishops admitted with regret: "... we have not incarnated the Christian life and enfleshed the Church in ways and patterns of our respective cultures and thus kept it alien in our lands". So they resolved to take concrete steps to correct this failure. They stated emphatically:

In the inculturation of the life and message of the Gospel in Asia, there have been hesitations and mistakes in the past, but we are more than ever convinced that the dialogue with our fellow Asians whose commitment is to other faiths is increasingly important. We also urge on all a deep respect for the culture and traditions of our peoples, and express the hope that the catholicity of the Church, may serve to help Asians remain truly Asian, and yet become fully part of the modern world and the one family of mankind (Gaudencio & Arevalo 1970: 6).

According to the Asian Bishops the dialogue with cultures is already presupposed in the formation of a local Church.

The Asian Bishops affirmed that the local Church is a Church incarnate in a people, a Church indigenous and inculturated:

And this means concretely a Church in continuous, humble and loving dialogue with the living traditions, cultures, the religions — in brief, with all the life-realities of the people in whose midst it has sunk its roots deeply and whose history and life it gladly makes its own. It seeks to share in whatever truly belongs to that people: its meanings and its values, its aspirations, its thoughts, and its language, its songs, and its artistry. Even frailties and failings it assumes, so that they too may be healed (Gaudencio & Arevalo 1970: 14).

The Church’s dialogue with cultures is in imitation of the incarnation of the Son of God who assumed the totality of the human condition except sin to redeem it through his Paschal Mystery. The Bishops resolved that since God became one of us to make us his own, his Church in Asia must be Asian. Therefore, indigenization is an imperative to make the local Church be truly present within the life and cultures of the people.

Freed from its limited historical embodiments and discovered anew, the Word becomes incarnate in the cultures of the people and it becomes relevant to the life of the community. The Bishops asserted that by inculturation the Christian community finds its new identity: "The community discovers a new identity, losing nothing of its cultural riches, but integrating them in a new whole and becoming the sacrament of God’s liberating love active among men" (Gaudencio & Arevalo 1970: 138). The Bishops were clear that inculturation is not a mere adaptation of a ready-made Christianity into a given situation but a creative embodiment of the Word in a local Church. It is the discovery of the seeds of the Word in the cultures and living traditions. It involves an experience of death and resurrection. Both the Church, as the messenger of the Gospel, and the cultures and traditions must be purified, healed and transformed by the saving power of the Gospel.

Inculturation as one of the tasks of the missions is a difficult and delicate task. The attitudes required for a dialogue with cultures are clear to the FABC. Certain attitudes thwart the process of this dialogue like the superiority complex which thinks that inculturation is unnecessary because other cultures are incompatible with Christianity or that Christianity is self-sufficient. Inculturation is considered by some as dangerous as it may introduce pluralism in the Church affecting its unity and the content of revelation. Such attitudes are not in consonance with the true meaning of evangelization. Over-eagerness to see results, irresponsible experimentation and undue imposition without sufficient preparation of the people are also obstacles to inculturation. Proper dialogue with cultures that foster evangelization requires docility to the Spirit for guidance, willingness to take risks, readiness to learn from mistakes, openness to correction and ability to dialogue with sincere openness. Dialogue with culture requires openness to accept pluralism as a positive value, recognizing that the richness of the Good News has to be explored and expressed in a variety of forms because Gospel values are ‘pan-cultural’ and ‘transcultural’ in nature and are ‘eminently inculturable’. "Properly speaking, it is not this or that culture that must be infused with the Gospel and its values but the people themselves, bearers of a culture" (Bulatao: 32). Without the ongoing discernment of the People of God, conversion of individuals and structures, assimilation of the Gospel values like the assimilation of food by the body, inculturation will not be successful. In the process of inculturation prophetic boldness and apostolic zeal must go hand in hand with the prudence of the Spirit of God who makes everything new.

The Bishops recommended that Christian communities develop a positive appreciation, love and acceptance of their own cultures. This would manifest itself in the creation of indigenous spirituality, liturgy, art, theological reflection and a style of life in harmony with ones own cultural heritage. Certain confusions may result from inculturation and innovative methods in evangelization. Therefore, the FABC recommends that Bishops and others who are responsible for evangelization should animate their communities towards responsible experimentation by stages subject to periodic evaluation. The Bishops observed that ‘the alternation of experience and reflection will mark the process of authentic inculturation’ (Gaudencio & Arevalo 1970:140). Centres of research need to be established to promote a deeper understanding of one’s own culture. The dialogue with the culture should foster the better use of the Bible, and the catechesis leading to the development of a spirituality beyond the cultic level, theologizing taking the context of the people, a fostering of the contemplative dimension of the Christian faith through the study of the holy writings of Asian cultures, the encouragement of indigenous forms of prayer and asceticism and the Christian interpretation of seasonal and community celebrations. In this way Christian life becomes part and parcel of the Asian cultural life. Thus the recommendations of the FABC for a fruitful dialogue with the Asian Culture is inspired by the urgency and the commitment to proclaim the Gospel by transforming the cultural values into the values of the Gospel.

Part II

Church’s Dialogue with Religions

The Church’s dialogue with the living religious traditions is one of those essential aspects of her mission to incarnate herself in a particular people. The Church accepts the significant and positive elements in other religions as they belong to the economy of salvation. The FABC has repeatedly affirmed that the Church recognizes and respects the spiritual and ethical meaning and values of other religions. The religious traditions have been and continue to be the authentic expression of the noblest longings of people, and of their contemplation and prayer. They have shaped their history and cultures (Gaudencio & Arevalo 1970: 14). Therefore, it is imperative that the Church enter into dialogue with these traditions with respect and reverence and fulfil the mission entrusted to her. Both the CBCI and the FABC, aware of the importance and necessity of the Church’s dialogue with the religious traditions, give theological basis, orientation, and recommendation for a meaningful dialogue with the context of religious pluralism.

Dialogue with Religions: Orientations of the CBCI

In the Indian context of a plurality of religions, the self-understanding of the Church and the relevance of her mission require constant dialogue with the people of other faiths. More than a dialogue, what often takes place is a trilogue — the Church’s own dialogue with her faith tradition and the Church’s dialogue with other religious traditions. The Christian partners of interreligious dialogue are aware that as Indian Christians they are inheritors of two traditions. They are heirs of a culture and tradition which sought God relentlessly and they share a faith tradition which gives them the assurance that the ‘Indian search is not an unaided groping towards our Final Destiny. Rather it is sustained by the active presence of God’s Spirit’ (CBCI 1989: 19). Authentic dialogue with openness to share and receive will not leave the partners unaffected and unchanged after the encounter with each other.

A living faith cannot but be a faith in dialogue with its life-situation. A dialogue of life as well as systematic dialogue with the religion of the majority community had been taking place in India since many centuries. However, the documents of the Second Vatican Council, especially, the Lumen Gentium and Nostra Aetatae, and the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi gave a new impetus to the Church’s commitment to dialogue with religions. The Second Vatican Council has a positive approach to other religions. It exhorted the faithful ‘prudently and lovingly, through dialogue and in collaboration with other religions, and in witness to the Christian faith and life, to acknowledge, preserve and promote the spiritual and moral good, as well as the socio-cultural values, found in them’ (NA, n.2) (CBCI 1989: 9). The CBCI Commission for Dialogue and Ecumenism articulated the Church’s understanding of the meaning of dialogue and its necessity as a ‘serious part of apostolic ministry’ to give ‘pastoral and practical orientations’ through its document ‘Guidelines for Interreligious Dialogue’.

The cautious approach of the 1950s to a more courageous call to dialogue with religions issued by the All India Seminar in Bangalore in 1969, was preceded by a series of discussions on dialogue at various diocesan and regional seminars. The Church’s dialogue with religions was further discussed and elaborated in 1971 at the International Theological Conference on Evangelization, Dialogue and Development at Nagpur and in 1973 at the All India Consultation on Evangelization at Patna. The Meeting of the CBCI in Calcutta in 1974 in its communication to the Synod of 1974, stated very clearly the need for dialogue with religions in the Indian context. It stated:

In view of the fact that India has nurtured several of the world’s great religions, the Church in India is called upon to be an earnest pioneer of interreligious dialogue. It is the response of the Christian faith to God’s saving presence in other religious traditions and the expression of the firm hope of their fulfilment in Christ. Done in a spirit of fraternal love, dialogue is a mutual communication and a sharing of religious experience, of spiritual and moral values enriching both the partners in a communion that seeks to foster unity among people and promotes the good things found among them (CBCI 1974: 140).

The dialogue with religions raised the question of the use of non-biblical texts in the Christian worship; and there was a discussion in the National Seminar on the same theme in 1974. A Seminar on the Sharing Worship was conducted in 1988. For the Church in India interreligious dialogue has become her way of proclaiming the Gospel in the multi-religious society in which the Church finds herself. The number of Ashrams and centres for interreligious dialogue that are opened in various parts of the country is the best example for this commitment to dialogue.

The document of the CBCI, Guidelines for Interreligious Dialogue, clarifies what the Church means by interreligious dialogue and provides the theological basis for this dialogue. Interreligious dialogue, according to this document, ‘is both an attitude and an activity of committed followers of various religions who agree to meet and accept one another and work together for common ideals in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust’ (CBCI 1989: 34). Quoting from the Nagpur Conference the document says, "Religious dialogue, therefore, does not mean that two persons speak about their religious experience, but rather that they speak as religiously committed persons with their ultimate commitments and religious outlook, on subjects of common interest" (CBCI 1989: 35). This common interest is to build up a just and human society and the ultimate commitment is to travel together as pilgrims to our Ultimate destiny helping one another to overcome the limitations in this journey.

The theological foundation for dialogue is both Pneumatological and Christological. The all-pervading presence of the Spirit of God invites all to be open to the Spirit’s presence in everything genuinely human. Jesus’ attitude of openness to accept the people of other faiths without any discrimination and to recognize in them ‘a faith greater than that of Israel’ inspires us to enter into dialogue with total openness to other religious traditions. The fruits of dialogue can be mutually enriching for its partners. A Christian can learn from her/his Hindu partner of dialogue, a deeper awareness of the Absolute Reality of God and the ways to enter into union with him; from the Muslim a Christian can learn the courage to profess her/his faith in public and his/her reverence for the will and majesty of God; and from the Buddhists s/he can learn the radical meaning of spiritual liberation.

The CBCI document makes it clear that interreligious dialogue is not intended to make conversion from one religion to another:

When it is rightly said that dialogue does not aim at ‘making converts’ the meaning is that the intention of Christians or Hindus or any other participants in a dialogue activity is not to convince the others of their own beliefs or to bring them over to their communities, but rather in sincerity and disinterested love to give witness to their own faith and to be enriched by the religious values found in others (1989: 38).

Then what is the relationship between dialogue and evangelization? Evangelization can be understood in a broad or in a narrow sense. In the broad sense it can mean any activity undertaken to promote and strengthen the ideal of the Kingdom of God which Jesus preached. According to the third Synod of the Bishops, evangelization is ‘action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world’: In the broad sense of evangelization dialogue is understood as an activity that brings about greater understanding and union of hearts. For some there is no conflict between evangelization and dialogue because they see evangelization in a broad sense and find that sharing and witnessing to one’s own faith itself is evangelization. Some others further claim that dialogue is the only form of evangelization as both partners listen to the Word of God and give witness to it.

There is tension within the Church and within individual Christians between the broad and narrow approaches to evangelization and therefore there is a difference in their understanding of the purpose of interreligious dialogue. The CBCI document on Dialogue tries to show that this tension needs to be accepted as part of life and as the expression of the various charisms and vocations in the Church. It shows the ‘already’ and ‘not yet’ situation of the Church. The ‘already’ dimension of the Church impels her to proclaim to others to accept and experience by their conversion the eschatological Kingdom in anticipation as mandated by the risen Lord. The ‘not yet’ situation prompts the Church to dialogue with the members of other religions and groups as it is the duty of everyone ‘to seek from within the human community an understanding and accomplishment of God’s design for humanity’ (CBCI 1989: 40-41). Does it mean that some have the charism to enter into dialogue with other religions, share their faith experience and learn from others and work for the common good of humanity and that others have the charism to call others to conversion to accept Christ and his Church? The document says, "In whatever way one articulates one’s understanding of dialogue and proclamation, the perspective should always be that of the Kingdom of God. We are all pilgrims towards that state where God will fully reign over all humanity" (CBCI 1989: 41).

All the participants in dialogue need inner conversion to reach the ideals proclaimed by their own religious tradition. This inner conversion should be complemented by some visible expressions. When and in what form this takes place is left to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and to the discernment of the community of believers. The clarity of understanding the tension between dialogue and proclamation or the broad and narrow understanding of evangelization and of recognizing them as charisms seems to fade when the document on Dialogue further says:

Dialogue cannot be an escape from and substitute for the task of proclaiming Christ. As far as Christians are concerned, a sincere dialogue with deep faith in Christ involves a witnessing to him, since it is a sincere sharing of one’s faith characterised by all forms of truth. On the other hand, all evangelisation is just an offer made in a spirit of dialogue. The Good News cannot be imposed or imparted by any form of deceit or fraud. It can be shared by partners ready to receive it with joy. Any form of evangelisation which forgets this dialogical spirit is a betrayal of Jesus Christ who came to fulfil and not to abolish (CBCI 1989: 42).

The struggle of the document to accommodate various missiological positions is clear from the above statement. However, the document gives clear pastoral suggestions for a fruitful dialogue with religions. It admits that dialogue with other religions presupposes ecumenical relationship among the various Christian denominations. In fact, dialogue with other religions is an expression of the Church’s commitment to a ‘wider ecumenism’. Such dialogue requires from the Christian partner a prayerful attitude, a deep commitment to faith which is lived within a perspective of search for the Beyond, a great sense of honesty and truthfulness, humility to listen, sensitivity to the feelings of others, a deep love of God and for the partners of dialogue and an awareness that though we are graced by the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ we do not have the monopoly of truth. Dialogue with religions calls for openness to the world-views of the partners in dialogue, knowledge of the basic religious ideas and thought patterns of each other. It must be conducted in an atmosphere of reconciliation for the sins the religions committed against one another and at the same time courageously facing the questions of justice and the oppression of the poor and marginalized in the name of religions.

The Christian partner in interreligious dialogue must avoid the danger of interpreting and categorizing others while pretending to listen. Authentic dialogue can take place only when there is openness to others and their differences and respect for them. Therefore, syncretism of false levelling of religions on the one hand and a polemical or an apologetic spirit on the other hand must be avoided.

The document speaks of two types of interreligious dialogue. One is ‘interior dialogue’ (CBCI 1989: 52), which includes the preparation of Christians through proper catechesis about other religious traditions at all levels of Christian life as well as philosophical and theological formation especially in seminaries and religious houses. The interior dialogue also includes integrating into our prayer life the spiritual treasures of other religions. The document on dialogue suggests the use of the religious texts like Bhagavad Gita, the Quran, the Upanishads, the Adi Granth, the hymns of Sufi poets, Gitanjali, etc. for prayer (CBCI 1989:56). The second type of interreligious dialogue is ‘exterior dialogue’ (CBCI 1989: 56) which involves dialogues of action, study and reflection, prayer, living together and association. Religions can enter into a deeper dialogue when they come together and work together for the upliftment of the poor and the marginalized. The document gives many practical ways of entering into ‘exterior dialogue’.

It is an integral part of our commitment to interreligious dialogue that we have respect for the sacred places and sacred times of other religions. Visits to such sacred places and participation in sacred festivals must be with reverence and must be seen as occasions for raising our minds and hearts to God who cannot be limited to any place. However, a false syncretism of an active participation which is specific and exclusive to other religions must be avoided (CBCI 1989: 81). The Church encourages the liturgical celebrations of the festivals of other religions. Our educational institutions should provide opportunities for the students of other religions to deepen their religious faith through the study of their scriptures and prayers. The Church encourages private and public dialogue with persons of other faiths and also with atheists and non-believers.

The guidelines given by the CBCI for an effective dialogue with religions reveal the desire of the Church in India to respond meaningfully to the situation of religious pluralism. The pluralism of religions is seen by the Church as a gift of God rather than as a burden. Encounter with great religious traditions liberates the Church from its triumphalism and exclusivism. Though one may still find a lack of clarity with regard to the dichotomy between dialogue and proclamation and the definitive position of the Church about conversion, the document on interreligious dialogue is a major achievement of the CBCI in promoting an effective dialogue with religions.

The FABC’s Understanding of Dialogue with Religions

In the Statement of the First Plenary Assembly of the FABC in 1974 we find the basic orientation of the Asian Bishops’ Conference for a dialogue with the religions of Asia. The issues specific to a dialogue with Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism were taken up in the assemblies of the Bishops’ Institute for Religious Affairs (BIRA) I, II and III, respectively. The International Congress on Mission held in Manila, in 1979 underlined the urgency of interreligious dialogue for the local Churches in Asia.

The First Plenary Assembly Statement affirmed that the Church accepts other religions as significant and positive elements in God’s plan of salvation. The other religions are seen by the Church as the treasury of religious experiences, the source of light and strength for the contemporaries and the authentic expression of the noblest longings of hearts. The Church respects them for their spiritual and ethical values and meanings. If God has drawn people to himself through these religions, we can discover the seeds of the Word in them. Dialogue with religions will enable Christians to find authentic ways of living and expressing their Christian faith. Our faith in Christ can help us to discern what we can receive from other religions and what we can give them.

The Statement of the BIRA I (1979), while dealing with the Church’s dialogue with Buddhism, spelt out clearly the motivations of dialogue as well as its nature, characteristics and forms. It gave also certain pastoral orientation for dialogue. The statement admitted certain obstacles for dialogue and listed them: the connection of the Church with colonialism of the past, inadequate inculturation, ‘foreignness’ attributed to Christianity, mutual attitudes of cultural and religious superiority, negative and insufficient motives for dialogue, etc. However there is the desire for dialogue among people to create a more just and human society, to return to the cultural roots, to incarnate the Church in its worship, theology, lifestyle, structures by being truly the local Church. The motivation for dialogue is to manifest the salvific will of God, "As there is no salvation except through the saving grace of God, all salvation attained by men is the fruit of the gift of Christ" (Rosales & Aravelo 1992: 110).

In dialogue the incarnate Word that is spoken into history receives full meaning in history. Therefore, dialogue is intrinsic to the life of the Church and the essential mode of all evangelization, "Although endowed with ways proper to it, its import excludes it as a tactic in proselytism". Dialogue by nature is a process of talking and listening, of giving and receiving, of searching and studying, for the deepening and enriching of one another’s faith and understanding. The BIRA I identified three forms of dialogue: the dialogue which promotes mutual understanding and harmony; the dialogue of life where people come together to promote unity, love, truth, justice and peace; and the dialogue of prayer and religious experience. The BIRA I made many recommendations to the Bishops to foster interreligious dialogue. These include setting up of national and regional centres for dialogue, collaborating with the leaders of other religions to respond to specific issues, giving formation for dialogue, promoting cooperation among institutions both religious and secular in areas of social welfare, educational, business, legal and medical professions, using mass media for promoting dialogue, encouraging dialogue as a component of parish life, etc. The BIRA I, thus, laid a good foundation for the Church’s dialogue with other religions.

The BIRA II (1979) had the specific purpose of deepening the Church’s understanding of and commitment to dialogue with Muslims. Both Christians and Muslims share an eagerness to serve one God, await his judgement, and hope in his eternal reward. However, certain fears, prejudices and ignorance of one another’s religion, and the triumphalistic attitudes of both religions hinder dialogue between them. In spite of these obstacles there is a growing awareness among Christians to dialogue with Muslims. In its pastoral orientation, BIRA II identified different forms of dialogue at various levels of encounter between Christians and Muslims, "In dialogue, therefore, a Christian hopes that both he and his Muslim brother will turn anew to God’s Kingdom, their own faiths richer by their mutual interchange, their mission to the world more fruitful by their shared insights and commitments" (Rosales & Aravelo 1992: 115).

The Statement of BIRA III (1982) affirmed that dialogue and proclamation are complementary and clarified the objective of dialogue, "Sincere and authentic dialogue does not have for its objective the conversion of the other. For conversion depends solely on God’s internal call and the person’s free decision" (Rosales & Aravelo 1992: 120). Further it stated that interreligious dialogue cannot be confined to the religious sphere alone but must embrace all aspects of human life as the Church and other religions are at the service of the world. The quest for God, which is characteristic of the peoples of Asia, provides the context for dialogue among the religions.

For the promotion of dialogue among Hindus and Christians BIRA III recommended the preparation of people at all levels for this purpose through instruction and training. Common celebration of certain festivals like Divali (festival of lights) and Pongal (harvest festival), prayer, common reading of the Scriptures, sharing of spiritual experiences, reflections, discussions, live-ins, etc., are some of the activities for promoting dialogue. Dialogue can be furthered by common action for the promotion of values like freedom, justice, equality for integral human liberation and for the eradication of social evils like caste, communalism, corruption and the exploitation of the weak. The task of inculturation must be taken up earnestly as it is inseparably related to dialogue in life, spirituality and worship. Dialogue with Hindus will be more effective if it is an ecumenical venture giving common witness to the Gospel.

The FABC documents reveal the earnestness of the Church to fulfil the mission entrusted to her by the Lord in a relevant and meaningful way in dialogue with the other religions. The exclusivism and triumphalism in the attitude of the Church towards other religions in the past had hindered her mission of proclaiming the Gospel effectively in Asia. The new self-understanding of the Church emerged at the Second Vatican Council and her understanding of God’s presence and action in other religions changed her attitude to other religions. The Church in Asia carried forward this vision of the Church with clarity, conviction and courage. All the documents of the FABC on interreligious dialogue have given the theological foundation, the motives and the practical orientations for fruitful dialogue with other religions. They continue to have impact on the local Churches of the various countries of Asia.

Conclusion

The Church can fulfil her mission of sharing in God’s plan of integral liberation of humans only by dialoguing with her context of mission. The Asian context of the Church is rich in having a variety of cultures and religions. Therefore, the Church in Asia realizes that she has to enter into dialogue with cultures and religions with clarity, conviction and courage. Since 1970 the Bishops in the Asian countries, through their national conferences and the Federation of the Asian Bishops, have been attempting to evolve ways and means to dialogue with the complex Asian reality. The statements of the CBCI and the FABC reveal the struggle of a Church come of age to liberate herself from the burden of her links with the colonial powers in the past; her claims about possessing the monopoly of truth, her imported theology and forms of worship; her eurocentrism, her cultural alienation and her desire to become truly incarnate as a local Church with an Asian face. The message of the eternal Word that became incarnate once and for all in history can bring about the integral liberation of humans only if he is discovered and experienced within the cultures, religions and history of the Asian people.

The local Churches in Asian countries, sharing in the life and mission of the whole Church, must continue to promote dialogue with the reality of poverty and injustice, plurality of cultures and religious traditions at all levels of their life. The leadership of the Church in Asia must see the urgency to continue this dialogue with a deeper conviction and a renewed commitment in the context of neocolonialism and religious fundamentalism. The Church in Asia must reveal to her partners in dialogue the motives of her initiatives in entering into dialogue with them. There is a lot of confusion about the narrow and the broad understanding of evangelization, social work for development and social action for liberation, dialogue for inner conversion and the common good or for the purpose of conversion as generally understood. This issue needs to be clarified once and for all for the effective proclamation of the Gospel. It might remain a cross for the Church that her motives for dialogue may always be misinterpreted by some. But the Church should state in unambiguous terms the implications of her vocation to proclaim the Good News of liberation brought by Jesus her Lord, and guided by his Spirit for the glory of God and for the integral liberation of humans.

Notes:

Bulatao, James, "Inculturating Christianity in East Asia", FABC Papers, No. 7.

CBCI:

1960 Report of the Quinquennial Meeting of the CBCI.

1972 Agenda for the CBCI, Madras, April 6-14.

1979 Agenda for the General Meeting of the CBCI, Ranchi, 17-25.

1974 Report of the General Meeting of the CBCI, Calcutta, 6-14 Jan.

1989 Guidelines for Inter-Religious Dialogue, CBCI Commission for Dialogue and Ecumenism, (Second Revised Edition), No. 14.

Malieckal, Louis, 1988 "Liturgical Inculturation in India: Problems and Prospects of Experimentation" in Jeevadhara 18.

Rosales, Gaudencio B. and Arevalo, C.G. (eds.), 1992 For All the Peoples of Asia — Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Documents from 1970 to 1991, New York: Orbis Books & Quezon City, Claritian Publ.

1970 Message and Resolutions of the Asian Bishops’ Meeting, Manila: 29 November.

Wilfred, Felix, 1992 "The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) Orientations, Challenges and Impact" in Gaudencio Rosales & C.G. Arevalo (eds.), New York: Orbis Books & Quezon City: Claritian Publ.

Ref. Third Millennium (Indian Journal of Evangelization), n. 4, October-December 2000.