Dialogue with Religions (20.04.2010) - ISTITUTO DI STUDI ECUMENICI SAN BERNARDINO

Dialogue with Religions

(20.04.2010)

Via an educational pathway directed towards students and teachers of Franciscan Theological Institutes, ISE hosted a study day and discussion on this year's topic: Dialogue with religions.

The program for the day began with an introductory presentation (The glass wall: an overview on religious pluralism in Italy) offering a synthetic picture and interpretative view on the plurality of faiths existing in the Italian context. Professor Salvarani, currently teaching at the Faculty of Theology of Emilia Romagna and co-writer of the first report on the religions in Italy, titled The glass wall (EMI publication, 2009), proposed to look at the phenomenon of religious pluralism under a different perspective. If may be true that Italy arrived at the appointment with pluralism of cultures and faiths late in comparison with other contexts, and with a conflicting attitude, it is, however, necessary to consider plurality of faiths and different spiritual traditions, evermore present in our cities, as an opportune moment, kairòs for churches and believers. From a pluralism of reality to a pluralism of principle.

Appropriately, the second presentation, by Professor Dal Corso, teacher at ISE, focused on religious pluralism, investigating, in particular, the contribution of Ecumenism to dialogue among and with religions.

Students' and teachers' workshops investigated and discussed the points provided by the initial presentations. The debate, held in the afternoon, highlighted that the most discussed word is identity and, subsequently, the next is belonging to. Being open to inter-religious dialogue seems threatening to the very core.

However, true biblical vocation (see Abraham) indeed engages one, who, rather than going back to his roots (see Ulysses), accepts the call, even without understanding it all. This is because, as we read in Arabian literature, a man does not have roots, but feet. And if the metaphor is insufficiently convincing, we must go back once again to the Ecumenical school where we learnt that believing is different from belonging; and that the prominent Ecumenical word is hospitality rather than identity. A human being, before existing, is accepted. Therefore in all languages of the world, believing means being accepted (by God) and to accept (people). For this reason we are no longer without a place, even when the identity boundaries widen, becoming less clear and precise.

The tour to the Ghetto of Venice concluded the day's program, emphasizing again that the dialogue among religions is first of all a dialogue among religious people.