This past week Pope Francis met with five young men from France traveling the world promoting interreligious dialogue. The men – a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew, an atheist and an agnostic – are traveling around the world in an effort to foster peace among divergent faith communities and people of little or no faith at all. As they travel they are collecting information on various interfaith programs and progress to share on the electronic network. This collection, to be available on the internet for all to view, will be their legacy and contribution to furthering their belief that interfaith dialogue is the key to a peaceful world.
Samuel Grzybowski, the Catholic representative said, “During one year we are traveling throughout all the world. Forty countries or 50 countries. We have begun with Egypt and Israel and Palestine. Right now we are doing Europe.”
Josselin Rieth, the agnostic representative said, “We meet people every day. Actually in our European part of this world tour, we change countries every three days so we have meetings like two or three every day.”
Victor Grezes, the atheist representative said, “Stop talking about the others, start to talk to the others and I think this sums up quite well what we’re doing.”
Ismael Medjdoub, the Muslim representative said, “When we were in Israel in Palestine, it was very difficult as a Muslim to be there. Because people don’t live next to each other, they live back to back. They are close but they don’t talk to each other.”
After the meeting with Pope Francis, Victor Grezes, the atheist, remarked on the encounter by saying, “When I told him ‘I am an atheist, I’m very pleased to meet you.’ He said, ‘You are an atheist, you are my friend and I’m very glad that you’re here.’ I thanked him for the letter he wrote a few days ago for the atheists and then he smiled at me and offered me a little present. This is what interfaith is. Interfaith isn’t just dialogue, its action.”
The letter of which young Victor spoke was written by Pope Francis to Eugenio Scalfari, an atheist and co-founder and former editor-in-chief of the Roman daily newspaper, La Repubblica. He wrote the first letter to Scalfari in September saying that grace is certainly available to all people, adding, “Even you, without knowing it, could be touched by grace.” Pope Francis wrote that dialogue and encounter, rather than proselytism, is the church’s mission today. He wrote that it is important for each human being to seek the Good while following their conscience in life.
Pope Francis wrote that an “open and unprejudiced dialogue” between Christians and those of no religious faith is “rightful and precious” today for at least two reasons. First, such dialogue could “open doors for a serious and fertile encounter” between secular culture and Christian culture; second, such dialogue could dispel the view by many non-believers that faith is based on the “darkness of superstition opposed to the light of reason.” Such communication and dialogue springs from the very nature of Christian faith, the pope explained. “Since it is born of love,” he wrote, quoting his own encyclical Lumen Fidei, “faith is not intransigent but grows in respectful coexistence with others. Far from making us inflexible, the security of faith sets us on a journey; it enables witness and dialogue with all.”
In the pope’s view the call to love all people embedded in the teachings of Christian faith offers a path toward dialogue even with non-believers and skeptics. “I would not speak, not even for a believer of ‘absolute’ truth, in the sense of absolute as disconnected, lacking any relationship. Truth, according to Christian faith, is love of God for us in Jesus Christ. Therefore truth is a relationship,” the pope explained. “This does not mean that truth is variable and subjective – on the contrary,” he wrote. “But it means that truth is given to us always and only as a path and a life… In other words, truth being after all one in the same as love, it requires humility and openness in order to be sought, welcomed and expressed.”
When asked if the church condemns non-believers, the pope wrote, “The mercy of God is unlimited if directed to someone with a sincere and contrite heart. The question for someone who does not believe in God lies in obeying one’s own conscience.”
Truly startling words for a pope to say toward atheists, agnostics and those of little faith! His words truly are “rightful and precious.”
Father Joseph D. Wallace is coordinator, Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs, Diocese of Camden.
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