Christianity is the largest religious body in the world, but even so it extends to only about a third of the world’s population. Among Christians, Roman Catholics are the single largest group with over a billion members, but total world population is currently over six and a half billion.

What about the billions of people who are not Roman Catholic or who are not Christian? How do we relate to them?
The very first thing that the Second Vatican Council had to say about the church was that, in Christ, the church is a sign and instrument of “communion with God” and “the unity of the whole human race.” (cf. Lumen Gentium, no.1) Like the seven sacraments, the church herself is a kind of sacrament, that is to say, she is a visible sign that God uses to demonstrate His love for humankind and to bring about the transformation of the world through love.

The Christian faithful are not meant to be closed in on themselves and concerned only for their own spiritual or material welfare. The Council says that “pursuing the purpose which is proper to her — that of saving humankind — the church communicates the divine life to man, but not only that. In some way she also casts the reflected light of that life over the entire earth … and contributes a great deal towards making the family of man and its history more human.” (Gaudium et Spes, no. 40)

The world’s great questions about God and about life, about justice and peace, about knowledge and progress, have always been of interest to the church. Our mission, in the midst of it all, is to be a living sign of every human being’s call to communion with God and to unity with every other human being — and not only a sign, but also God’s instrument to bring about this communion and unity in Christ.

Sadly, our effectiveness in fulfilling our mission is hampered by Christian disunity, contrary to the will of Christ. At the Last Supper Jesus prayed to the Father that His disciples “may all be one” precisely so that “the world may believe that You have sent Me.” (Jn 17:21) Although much ecumenical progress has been made in recent decades, to the extent that we are still divided we are less a “sign and instrument” of communion with God and the unity of the whole human race.

Just a few days ago in Findlay I participated in a joint renewal of the Covenant document first signed five years ago between our Catholic Diocese of Toledo and the Northwestern Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This Covenant commits us to work together more closely in northwest Ohio to overcome the disunity between Catholics and Lutherans. In the words of the Covenant, we do so “in order to serve the Lord who has called us to be one.”

The Church’s mission to be a sign and instrument of divine and human unity does not end with Christian ecumenism. Interreligious or interfaith dialogue, as it is called, is also very important, especially in today’s pluralistic societies. It might surprise some people to know that the Holy See, and the pope personally, devote a significant amount of time and effort to those who are not Christian as part of a universal concern for the dignity of the human person, and for justice and peace in the world.

Jesus commanded His disciples to preach and baptize to the ends of the earth. St. Paul says, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.” We know by faith that Jesus is the world’s only Savior, and everything we do as Christians proclaims this Gospel truth. But that does not exclude a humble and respectful dialogue with those who are not Christian, so that together we might learn something from one another in our common humanity and in the pursuit of truth.

A helpful document from the Holy See (Dialogue and Proclamation, 1991) speaks of the“ dialogue of life” where people of the different world religions seek to be good neighbors to one another, sharing joys and sorrows, problems and successes; the “dialogue of action” by which people of different faiths work together for justice, peace and the common good; the “dialogue of theological exchange” where specialists deepen understanding of their respective religious heritages and appreciate each other’s spiritual values; and finally, the “dialogue of religious experience,” where people, rooted in their own religious traditions, share their spiritual insights about things like prayer, contemplation, faith, and their ways of approaching God.

Last year at a meeting with Muslim representatives in Germany Pope Benedict said, “We must seek paths of reconciliation and learn to live with respect for each other’s identity.” What the Holy Father hoped for in his recent academic lecture in Germany was a serious dialogue of cultures with reference to faith and reason. Despite the regrettable controversy that erupted because of the Pope’s quotation of a medieval text regarding Islam, there are now hopeful signs that such a dialogue may indeed take place.

Over the years we in the Diocese of Toledo have had very positive relationships with Jews, Muslims, and members of other religions too, as evidenced by the interfaith service for peace held at Toledo Christ the King Parish some weeks ago. Our diocese remains firmly committed to strengthening and deepening these relationships in a spirit of mutual respect, understanding and esteem.

There are those who argue that religion is a cause of hatred, intolerance, violence and war. It is undeniable that religion of all kinds, including Christianity, has sometimes been the cause or pretext for such evils. In the words of Pope Benedict: “It is our task, as Christians in a secularized world, to proclaim and to witness to all the message of hope that faith offers us: in the crucified Jesus, God, the merciful Father, calls us to be His children and to overcome every form of hatred and violence, to contribute to the definitive triumph of love. God is near.”

+MOST REVEREND LEONARD P. BLAIR
BISHOP OF TOLEDO