By Monsignor Rob Kinnally
I have been following Pope Leo XIV since his election back in May, and I have found his wisdom on many topics to be inspiring. Recently I came upon his words regarding the value of interreligious dialogue, and I think he offers hope for a world that is divided and in need of meaningful conversation. Back in September, Leo XIV sent a message to the “Conference on Interreligious Dialogue and Harmony,” held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Pope expressed his support of interreligious dialogue that was carried out via the conference’s theme: “Promoting a Culture of Harmony between Brothers and Sisters.” He wished the conference participants the gift of peace that he said is “unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering.” Noting that the theme arises “from the conviction that our human community is truly one – in origin and in destiny from God,” the Pope commented that it is imperative to nurture a culture of harmony and peace. In this context, he defines culture as “a nurturing environment that sustains growth.” Such a culture is fed with the “sunlight of truth, the water of charity, and the soil of freedom and justice.” Those invested in interreligious dialogue can tend the field by keeping the conversation going and clearing away “the weeds of prejudice.” With a healthy environment like that, differences in creed or background will not cause division.
The experience of intentional dialogue that respects differences is truly life-changing because it moves society from tolerance to understanding and ultimately to a true and lasting peace. I have experienced this in various interfaith dialogues while a seminarian and as a pastor here in New Canaan. I’m so honored to be a part of our New Canaan Clergy Association where I value the conversations that I share with my sisters and brothers in ministry. United in our mission of empowering our congregations to encounter God in word, worship, and acts of charity, we revel in the responsibility of healing, praying, and loving. Our desire for our people to experience cherished belonging places us on common ground. The fact that we express our belief in different words and worship in different manner does not compromise our friendship. I think our sharing of ideas and the resonant harmony that marks our time together spills over into places beyond our clergy meetings and into the community, especially as we navigate a broken world that is marked by a lack of trust. Leo XIV proposes that those involved in meaningful interfaith dialogue embrace life-changing paradigms that foster successful outcomes: “Where others have sown distrust, we choose trust…where others might foster fear, we strive for understanding; where others view differences as barriers, we recognize them as avenues of mutual enrichment.” I believe this easily translates in other conversations that do not have religion at the core. It is possible to live in charity after accomplishing the work of listening, understanding, and finding that kernel of unity that is the seed for friendship.
I think that we can expect that during the papacy of Leo XIV there will be movement toward unity among Christians, marked by a continuous dialogue within the Catholic Church and with other communities of believers. Just last week the King and Queen of England prayed with the Pope in the Vatican, an event that many thought would and could not happen. It was a profound response to the desire of Jesus: “I pray that that they be one. (John 17:21). Who knows what we will see in our lifetime when it comes to such unity, but the template for dialogue that is characterized by first acknowledging our unity as children of the Creator provides a sufficient foundation for a productive meeting of minds and hearts. What we have in common as members of the human family intentionally created for love transcends party lines and ideology. What we share as seekers of joy and peace should spark a hopeful spirit and cause us to work for the good of one another. What we desire for our children and our children’s children should keep us fixed on God’s desire for generations: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
If we go forward from that place of common kinship, we can talk to one another like family, knowing full well that families sometimes don’t get along all the time. Civil discourse is valuable, but striving for a civilization of love would be life-giving.
Monsignor Rob Kinnally is the pastor of Saint Aloysius Roman Catholic Parish in New Canaan and the Vicar General of the Diocese of Bridgeport.
