Respect for other religions key to interfaith harmony| Cathnews India

Published Date: July 29, 2010

Tags: ECCUIRD, Holy Cross Father James C. Cruze, interfaith harmony, interreligious dialogue

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Holy Cross Father James C. Cruze

Respect and tolerance are major paths for furthering inter-faith dialogue, a recent Bangkok meeting of Asian members of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue concluded.

However, these are areas the Church in Bangladesh have excelled at for many years now, says Holy Cross Father James C. Cruze, secretary of Bangladesh’s Episcopal Commission for Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue (ECCUIRD).

The July 12-18 gathering at the Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Center in Sam Phran, near Bangkok, saw 36 Church officials, mainly Asian bishops, and also council president Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran taking part.

In this commentary, Father Cruze, who is also professor of Islam at the Holy Spirit National Major Seminary in Dhaka, talks about the Bangladesh Catholic Church’s involvement in interreligious dialogue:

ECCUIRD chairman, Oblate Bishop Bejoy N. D’Cruze of Khulna, was in the United States on an official tour, and so I was asked to represent Bangladesh at the meeting.

It was quite an important and successful gathering on interreligious issues for the Church in Asia.

It mainly focused on current interreligious conditions in different countries. Through sharing and discussions we looked at how these relationships could be made better and resolved to keep in constant communication with other religious leaders. We also pledged not look for conversions, but to teach others Christian values.

The gathering also advised us to be tolerant of other faiths and not to quarrel. We need to respect other religions. For Bangladesh it means we can look forward to taking inter-faith harmony to a higher level, especially with the Muslim majority. The key is to respect their religion and set aside prejudices against them.

I believe the results of the meeting will help accelerate ECCUIRD and local Catholic Church activities regarding inter-faith issues. With several years’ experience in serving as the commission’s secretary, I can say that Bangladesh presents a very good model in pursuing interreligious harmony.

People from all religions live here easily and peacefully. They attend major religious festivals together and invite others to their houses on a regular basis. Things are getting better in Bangladesh day by day.

Following the Thailand gathering, we will work to strengthen bonds further and improve upon the work we’ve carried out to boost inter-faith activities since 2000. Diocesan representatives and Caritas workers, who are trained in interreligious dialogue, will continue to produce leaders in this field of service.

Cooperation and respect are very important in inter-faith dialogue and are things we always try to promote. We tell our people they should resist adopting negative attitudes toward others. We also help them realize that using religion as a weapon is very bad.

Like the Thailand meeting highlighted, we never look to convert, but try and give others a sense of Christian values through our activities. We need more dedicated people to continue with this mission and vision. If we can continue working hand in hand like we do now, Bangladesh will become an exemplary role model for inter-faith harmony.

We plan to conduct classes on interreligious dialogue for teachers and students in different Church and non-Church schools. Working at grassroots level, we will strengthen and safeguard inter-faith and communal harmony.

Since 1998, there have been no major attacks on Christians in Bangladesh on religious grounds, even though religious fundamentalism has risen in the country in recent years. There were some isolated incidents regarding family problems and land issues. But the overall picture is quite good and satisfactory.

Because of the Church’s efforts in interreligious dialogue, other religions, including Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, are organizing regular programs. Different religious organizations and bodies such as the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Grand Mosque Baitul Mukarram and Rama Krishna Mission organize interreligious programs which offer great hope for minority groups like us.

When they organize events they often ask me to speak on Christianity and Christian values. Thus, our relationship and friendship are becoming healthier and stronger.

A few years ago, Dhaka University, the highest educational institution in the country, set up an Interreligious Dialogue and Intercultural Center to help students and teachers study and learn about communal harmony and its benefits.

The university also introduced an interreligious subject called “World Religion” in its syllabus. It has teachers from all religions including a Catholic priest.

The Catholic Church organizes many interfaith and inter-Church events. And we’re happy to see that these efforts are being appreciated and imitated as well.

Last year we had two outstanding interreligious dialogue programs. The first one took place with Muslim imams, Catholic priests and Protestant pastors. The second was between Catholic Religious and Sikh leaders. Both events were the first of their kind and very successful.

In my sharing during the first program, I asked the imams to tell Muslims to respect people of other religions, while they asked me what Catholic priests do while offering Mass. I told them the Church tells every priest to help people follow their own religion and respect others too.

As a result, Muslim leaders are more cooperative and amiable toward us.

I’m very hopeful that if the Church continues its efforts at promoting inter-faith dialogue, nothing will destroy the communal harmony in Bangladesh.

Holy Cross Father James C. Cruze has been secretary of ECCUIRD since 2003. He is also the director of the Holy Cross Scholasticate for major seminarians.

Source: ucanews.com

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