Letter of Cardinal Francis Arinze on Interreligious Monastic Dialogue
For many years now members of the Benedictine family have been engaged in dialogue with monks and nuns of other religious traditions, particularly with Buddhists. From the beginning this intermonastic dialogue has received encouragement from the highest authorities of the Catholic Church. On the occasion of the meeting organized in Bangkok, in December 1968, by Aide a l’Implantation Monastique (AIM), the message from the Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, mentioned “deepening the contacts with non-Christian monasticism, in the spirit of the conciliar documents”. The present Holy Father, in addressing the participants in the Plenary Assembly of the then Secretariat for non-Christians in 1984, stated: “In consistency with one’s own faith, it is also possible to enrich one another through comparing spiritual experiences and sharing forms of prayer as ways of meeting with God. . . . I am thinking particularly of inter-monastic dialogue”. In his recent encyclical Redemptoris Missio, “sharing of . . . respective spiritual experiences” is explicitly mentioned as one of the forms of interreligious dialogue.
Following a later meeting arranged by AIM, this time in Bangalore in 1973, Cardinal Pignedoli, President of what was then known as the Secretariat for non-Christians, wrote to Dom Rembert Weakland, then Abbot Primate of the Benedictines. In his letter he underlined the important role of monasticism in the field of interreligious dialogue, and encouraged the development of this activity within the Order.
As the dialogue developed, particularly in the form of the East–West Spiritual Exchange, our Office continued to give the support of its patronage. Staff members were involved in the symposia held in Europe, on the occasion of the first and third exchanges, and the Secretary took part in the fourth exchange.
Through these activities, and similar programmes promoted by the North American Board for East–West Dialogue, a wealth of experience has been accumulated. This has been added to by the numerous contacts with monks of other religious traditions resident in the West or visiting it for the purpose of teaching oriental methods of meditation. Above all there has been the personal experience of many monks and nuns who have sought to integrate oriental ways of meditation into their monastic life.
The time would seem to be ripe to make an evaluation of this experience, to see the benefits which have come from contacts with other forms of monasticism and spirituality, but also to examine some of the problems arising in this domain.
It is not for me to suggest in which way this evaluation should be carried out, whether by means of an inquiry, or through a meeting of experts, or by a combination of both. I would simply like to emphasize its importance not only for the members of the Benedictine family, but also to the whole Church.
As the recent letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation states: “Many Christians today have a keen desire to learn how to experience a deeper and authentic prayer life”. This is one of the reasons for the interest in Eastern forms of spirituality. Yet in this field, as the letter points out, there is a need for “sure criteria of a doctrinal and pastoral character.” The Letter of the CDF has given sound guidance in setting forth the nature of Christian prayer and meditation. There are nevertheless questions which require further study, particularly with regard to the integration of different forms of spirituality.
It is within this context that I would like to encourage the Commission for Interreligious Monastic Dialogue to undertake the evaluation suggested.
Following a later meeting arranged by AIM, this time in Bangalore in 1973, Cardinal Pignedoli, President of what was then known as the Secretariat for non-Christians, wrote to Dom Rembert Weakland, then Abbot Primate of the Benedictines. In his letter he underlined the important role of monasticism in the field of interreligious dialogue, and encouraged the development of this activity within the Order.
As the dialogue developed, particularly in the form of the East–West Spiritual Exchange, our Office continued to give the support of its patronage. Staff members were involved in the symposia held in Europe, on the occasion of the first and third exchanges, and the Secretary took part in the fourth exchange.
Through these activities, and similar programmes promoted by the North American Board for East–West Dialogue, a wealth of experience has been accumulated. This has been added to by the numerous contacts with monks of other religious traditions resident in the West or visiting it for the purpose of teaching oriental methods of meditation. Above all there has been the personal experience of many monks and nuns who have sought to integrate oriental ways of meditation into their monastic life.
The time would seem to be ripe to make an evaluation of this experience, to see the benefits which have come from contacts with other forms of monasticism and spirituality, but also to examine some of the problems arising in this domain.
It is not for me to suggest in which way this evaluation should be carried out, whether by means of an inquiry, or through a meeting of experts, or by a combination of both. I would simply like to emphasize its importance not only for the members of the Benedictine family, but also to the whole Church.
As the recent letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation states: “Many Christians today have a keen desire to learn how to experience a deeper and authentic prayer life”. This is one of the reasons for the interest in Eastern forms of spirituality. Yet in this field, as the letter points out, there is a need for “sure criteria of a doctrinal and pastoral character.” The Letter of the CDF has given sound guidance in setting forth the nature of Christian prayer and meditation. There are nevertheless questions which require further study, particularly with regard to the integration of different forms of spirituality.
It is within this context that I would like to encourage the Commission for Interreligious Monastic Dialogue to undertake the evaluation suggested.
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Francis, Cardinal Arinze was, until 2003, the president of the Pontifical Council on Interreligious Dialogue. He is now prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.