In an era of mass and instant communications, borders are crossed by a simple touch on a mobile phone; distances are conquered by video conferences, the unknown is now accessible at a click of the computer mouse. While these new avenues of communication carry great dangers – addiction to technology, exploitation of people, manipulation for the sake of profit, and abuse of means to achieve dishonest ends – they have become channels for transparency, encounter, and dialogue – overcoming isolation and exposing us to different ways of thinking, judging and acting. They allow people to join forces in denouncing evil, opening new paths for hope, peace and justice. And, most of all, they create a sense of interconnectedness of our human existence, particularly on issues concerning ecology, social justice, religious dialogue and defense of human rights.
In this global society, so diverse and distant yet with a common journey interwoven with privileges and responsibilities, individuals and institutions are called to know their milieu and to dialogue in a spirit of openness and true collaboration. Individuals and institutions can no longer function alienated from the common journey we make as a global society. Moreover, the Church, whose mission is to be ‘salt’ and ‘leaven’ in the midst of humanity, has to heed ever anew the call for openness and dialogue. Pope Francis has, recently, reminded us: “When the Church becomes closed, it becomes sick, sick.” (www.catholicsun.org)
Closing the doors to dialogue is building walls, creating isolation and choosing a fruitless existence. A mentality of fear, of “us against them,” can only lead to fundamentalism and intolerance. On the other hand, true dialogue opens doors, creates bridges and promotes communion. Addressing the personnel of the Jesuit journal La Civilta Catolica, Pope Francis stated: “Your main task isn’t to build walls but bridges. It is to establish a dialogue with all persons, even those who don’t share the Christian faith…Through dialogue, it is always possible to get closer to the truth, which is a gift of God, and to enrich one another.” (www.news.va) Such is the common mission of the Church – to build bridges!
To avoid relativism – the temptation to see equal merits in all religions – and syncretism – the idea that all religions or sincere beliefs are really saying the same things that could be mixed like a salad – dialogue should be procured with an updated knowledge of one’s own faith. To know and understand one’s own faith paves the way to live it and to share it since a convinced and mature faith is capable not only of giving meaning to one’s life, but also of providing answers to those who search for God. With such knowledge, it is possible to understand and appreciate the differences, leaving room for an open and enriching dialogue with respect and honesty – the dialogue of life.
The much-needed spirit of collaboration among the different religious groups, to provide credible answers to the so many maladies of our global society, is only possible if we build bridges instead of walls. The first encyclical of Pope Francis “is the work of four hands,” meaning it was started by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and it was finished by Francis himself. And it can be a lesson for all: appreciating the faith of those who have walked us this far, we have now the duty to add our own renewed and matured experience of faith.
