ARTICLES

Catholic dialogue with Jews and Muslims begins

By Barbara Hughes
Special to The Catholic Virginian

Drawn by a common interest to better understand and promote interreligious relations with Jews and Muslims, 23 Catholics from around the diocese gathered at the Church of the Incarnation in Charlottesville on January 7.

It was the first organizational meeting following my appointment as the Bishop’s liaison to the Jewish and Muslim communities for Southern Virginia.

Most of the participants met one another for the first time at the meeting. But as they introduced themselves to the group and shared the reason why they came, they discovered that their past experience with Jews and Muslims led them to want to learn more about interreligious relations.

In most cases, the experience had a profound effect on them as individuals.

“It’s given such breath to my own faith,” explained Patty Huffman of Blessed Sacrament in Harrisonburg who spent part of Christmas Day in a mosque working with the homeless.

Judy Sayed from Incarnation has been married to a Muslim for 38 years and told the group, “It’s not an ‘either or’ but has been a way for each of us to build on our own faith.”

Chris Barrett, pastoral associate at Resurrection parish in Moneta, explained that he had been involved in peace education and activism for years and that learning about other religions can be a bit scary.

Referencing a quote from Christian theologian Elizabeth O’Connor, he explained that it’s more comfortable to stay in our own ocean than to swim out into the deep in several oceans. He felt called to be part of the effort.

Several in the group had been to Israel which served to broaden their perspective. Joy McNabb, a member of Church of the Transfiguration in Fincastle, was leaving for Israel the next day as part of a Christian Peace-maker Team.

Rob Gray, a retired attorney from Holy Cross in Lynchburg, admitted that he disliked confrontation. He found that in the past, the topic of religion was avoided when he was with Jews or Muslims so he was interested in learning more about the dialogue process.

Yours truly, Barbara Hughes, offered an overview of the Catholic Church’s approach towards interfaith relations after Vatican II, citing papal documents “Nostra Aetate” and “Lumen Gentium” which Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, past president of the Papal Council for Interreligious Dialogue, advises should be read together.

Nostra Aetate recognizes the positive values of other religions while maintaining that Catholics are to be a light to the world by living the Gospel values.

During the presentation I pointed out that dialogue does not mean we compromise our own faith beliefs but that we respect the faith beliefs of others just as we hope they will respect ours.

Quoting from the 1984 document, “Dialogue and Mission,” I noted that there are four forms of dialogue.

Dialogue of life takes place as people of different religions live in a neighborly fashion, sharing the joys and sorrows of life.

Dialogue of action involves Christians collaborating for the well-being of others and can take place on a local, national or international level.

Dialogue of theological exchange takes place among specialists who seek to deepen their understanding of their respective religious heritage and to appreciate each other’s spiritual values.

And the dialogue of religious experience, which involves sharing the spiritual riches regarding prayer, faith and ways of searching and experiencing God in one’s own tradition.

Judy Sayed offered a brief overview of the Muslim religion, pointing out similarities and differences between Catholicism and Islam. Michael Stone, director of the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace, shared some of his experiences in the area of interfaith work.

Msgr. Joseph Lehman, pastor of Our Lady of Nazareth parish in Roanoke, who serves as the diocese’s Adjunct Vicar for Ecumenism and Interreligious Affairs, suggested a model similar to the one for Parish Ecumenical Representatives (PERS) which provides training for persons involved.

At the conclusion of the day, the group decided this was just the beginning.

They realized the need to deepen their own understanding of Judaism and Islam and found the resource list of recommended readings and the sharing of information and experiences a value that they wished to continue. Knowing they had the support of Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo helped them to feel more positive about their roles.

All agreed that it was prudent to begin small and to share the importance of understanding the other faiths with their own Catholic communities.

“If I can share what I’ve learned with one person, it will make a difference,” said Gail Kuhneman, of Ascension parish in Virginia Beach.

Elaine Lyons, campus minster at Bishop Sullivan High School in Virginia Beach, hopes the networking will serve as a resource so she can bring something back to the youth at the school.

Ann Ruggaber, from Immaculate Conception in Hampton who has an established relationship with local Muslims and Jews, plans to introduce the idea of an interreligious book discussion with a few people.

The next gathering will take place at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Richmond on Monday, April 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.