The Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue organized a two-day consultative workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, with African bishops who coordinate commissions for interreligious dialogue.
In a statement released on April 11, participants sent a “message to the people of Africa that religions can play a greater role in building a culture of peace, reconciliation, and fraternity. We believe that we can do this through education and engagement in interreligious dialogue.” To this end, they encouraged the bishops of each African nation to establish an episcopal commission for interreligious dialogue.
Expressing concern about “the increasing polarization, tensions, conflicts and religious radicalization in certain African countries,” the participants described interreligious dialogue as “an effective means to root out ignorance about other religious traditions, promote mutual respect and preserve the values that foster religious and cultural diversity and the dignity of every human being.”
“Interreligious dialogue and the proclamation of the Gospel, though not on the same level and not mutually exclusive, are authentic elements of the Church’s evangelizing mission,” they added. “In order to fulfil this mission, every Christian is called to participate in these two activities.”