Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue marks half century
(Vatican Radio) The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue marked the 50th
anniversary of its foundation on Monday with a Mass in St Peter’s Basilica and a conference
looking back at the achievements of the past half century of interfaith relations.
The Council, originally called the Secretariat for Non-Christians, was set up by Pope
Paul VI on Pentecost Sunday, May 19th, 1964 to further the Church’s relations
with people of other faiths.
The current president of the Council, Cardinal
Jean-Louis Tauran and its secretary, Father Miguel Ayuso spoke at the conference on
‘50 years of service in interreligious dialogue.’ They also presented a document
entitled ‘Dialogue in Truth and Charity: pastoral orientations for interreligious
dialogue’ offering practical guidelines to pastors and lay people working in interfaith
relations at the local level.
Also addressing the conference was Jesuit Father
Damian Howard, a professor of Muslim-Christian relations from Heythrop College in
London. He spoke with Fr Bernd Hagenkord, head of Vatican Radio’s German section the
past half century of progress in interreligious dialogue