Text of Pope Benedict XVI's Speech to Religious Leaders at Notre Dame Centre
Dear Brother Bishops, Distinguished Religious Leaders, Dear Friends,
It
is a source of great joy for me to meet with you this evening. I wish to thank His
Beatitude Patriarch Fouad Twal for his kind words of welcome spoken on behalf of everyone
present. I reciprocate the warm sentiments expressed and gladly greet all of you
and the members of the groups and organizations you represent. “God said to Abram,
‘Go from your country, your kindred and your father’s house for a land I shall show
you’ … so Abram went … and took his wife Sarah with him” (Gen 12:1-5). God’s
irruptive call, which marks the beginning of the history of our faith traditions,
was heard in the midst of man’s ordinary daily existence. And the history that ensued
was shaped, not in isolation, but through the encounter with Egyptian, Hittite, Sumerian,
Babylonian, Persian, and Greek cultures. Faith is always lived within a culture.
The history of religion shows that a community of believers proceeds by degrees of
faithfulness to God, drawing from and shaping the culture it meets. This same dynamic
is found in individual believers from the great monotheistic traditions: attuned to
the voice of God, like Abraham, we respond to his call and set out seeking the fulfillment
of his promises, striving to obey his will, forging a path in our own particular culture.
Today, nearly four thousand years after Abraham, the encounter of religions with
culture occurs not simply on a geographical plane. Certain aspects of globalization
and in particular the world of the internet have created a vast virtual culture, the
worth of which is as varied as its countless manifestations. Undoubtedly much has
been achieved to create a sense of closeness and unity within the world-wide human
family. Yet, at the same time, the boundless array of portals through which people
so readily access undifferentiated sources of information can easily become an instrument
of increasing fragmentation: the unity of knowledge is shattered and the complex
skills of critique, discernment and discrimination learned through academic and ethical
traditions are at times bypassed or neglected. The question naturally arises then
as to what contribution religion makes to the cultures of the world against the backdrop
of rapid globalization. Since many are quick to point out the readily apparent differences
between religions, as believers or religious persons we are presented with the challenge
to proclaim with clarity what we share in common. Abraham’s first step in faith,
and our steps to or from the synagogue, church, mosque or temple, tread the path of
our single human history, unfolding along the way, we might say, to the eternal Jerusalem
(cf. Rev 21:23). Similarly, every culture with its inner capacity to give
and receive gives expression to the one human nature. Yet, the individual is never
fully expressed through his or her own culture, but transcends it in the constant
search for something beyond. From this perspective, dear friends, we see the possibility
of a unity which is not dependent upon uniformity. While the differences we explore
in inter-religious dialogue may at times appear as barriers, they need not overshadow
the common sense of awe and respect for the universal, for the absolute and for truth,
which impel religious peoples to converse with one another in the first place. Indeed
it is the shared conviction that these transcendent realities have their source in
– and bear traces of – the Almighty that believers uphold before each other, our organizations,
our society, our world. In this way not only do we enrich culture but we shape it:
lives of religious fidelity echo God’s irruptive presence and so form a culture not
defined by boundaries of time or place but fundamentally shaped by the principles
and actions that stem from belief. Religious belief presupposes truth. The one
who believes is the one who seeks truth and lives by it. Although the medium by which
we understand the discovery and communication of truth differs in part from religion
to religion, we should not be deterred in our efforts to bear witness to truth’s power.
Together we can proclaim that God exists and can be known, that the earth is his creation,
that we are his creatures, and that he calls every man and woman to a way of life
that respects his design for the world. Friends, if we believe we have a criterion
of judgment and discernment which is divine in origin and intended for all humanity,
then we cannot tire of bringing that knowledge to bear on civic life. Truth should
be offered to all; it serves all members of society. It sheds light on the foundation
of morality and ethics, and suffuses reason with the strength to reach beyond its
own limitations in order to give expression to our deepest common aspirations. Far
from threatening the tolerance of differences or cultural plurality, truth makes consensus
possible and keeps public debate rational, honest and accountable, and opens the gateway
to peace. Fostering the will to be obedient to the truth in fact broadens our concept
of reason and its scope of application, and makes possible the genuine dialogue of
cultures and religions so urgently needed today. Each one of us here also knows,
however, that God’s voice is heard less clearly today, and reason itself has in so
many instances become deaf to the divine. Yet that “void” is not one of silence.
Indeed, it is the din of egotistical demands, empty promises and false hopes that
so often invades the very space in which God seeks us. Can we then make spaces –
oases of peace and profound reflection – where God’s voice can be heard anew, where
his truth can be discovered within the universality of reason, where every individual,
regardless of dwelling, or ethnic group, or political hue, or religious belief, can
be respected as a person, as a fellow human being? In an age of instant access to
information and social tendencies which engender a kind of monoculture, deep reflection
against the backdrop of God’s presence will embolden reason, stimulate creative genius,
facilitate critical appreciation of cultural practices and uphold the universal value
of religious belief. Friends, the institutions and groups that you represent engage
in inter-religious dialogue and the promotion of cultural initiatives at a wide range
of levels. From academic institutions – and here I wish to make special mention of
the outstanding achievements of Bethlehem University – to bereaved parents groups,
from initiatives through music and the arts to the courageous example of ordinary
mothers and fathers, from formal dialogue groups to charitable organizations, you
daily demonstrate your belief that our duty before God is expressed not only in our
worship but also in our love and concern for society, for culture, for our world and
for all who live in this land. Some would have us believe that our differences are
necessarily a cause of division and thus at most to be tolerated. A few even maintain
that our voices should simply be silenced. But we know that our differences need
never be misrepresented as an inevitable source of friction or tension either between
ourselves or in society at large. Rather, they provide a wonderful opportunity for
people of different religions to live together in profound respect, esteem and appreciation,
encouraging one another in the ways of God. Prompted by the Almighty and enlightened
by his truth, may you continue to step forward with courage, respecting all that differentiates
us and promoting all that unites us as creatures blessed with the desire to bring
hope to our communities and world. May God guide us along this path!