The Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II - Coursework Example

Critical Assessment of the Teaching of the Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II on the Relation of the Church to Other Religious Traditions The Second Vatican Council of the Catholic Church proclaimed that Christians should maintain good relations with other people from other non-Christian religions (1965) in line with the thrusts of the Church of “promoting unity and love among men” (Second Vatican Council, 1965, par. 1). Such declaration emanates from the basic commonality among men that drives them to associate with each other even if they come from different religions. Their two basic commonality is the reality that all men were created by God and awaiting to be with God in the end. It reiterates the fact that all came from God and will end up with God following their natural cycle. Whatever religion a person belongs to, he or she is recognized the presence of Supreme Being present in human history (par. 2) which is basically inline with the beliefs and teachings of the Church. Thus, be it the Hindus, Buddhists, Moslems, or the Jews, the Church finds no conflicting beliefs with them with regards to the existence of a God and the goal to be with him in the end. Even though these religions do not recognize Jesus Christ as God, they believed in Him as a prophet or a saint. Thus, given these basic tenets in their belief in God, the Catholic Church encourages its flock to veer away from discriminating or harassing people by their religion. Christians must maintain peaceful co-existence with other religions. In the end, this is the great manifestation of being children of God. Pope John Paul II carried out the teachings of the Second Vatican Council through his actions towards non-Christian religions throughout his stint as the Papal leader of the Catholic Church. He taught that the Holy Spirit is present in every person irregardless of his religious traditions. Every person’s conscience dictates him to positively respond to the invitation of God for salvation through Jesus Christ even though he does not recognize him as his Saviour. (Pope John Paul II, 2003 cited in Crossroad Website). He believed that those who believe in God in whatever religious traditions should be duty bound to foster good relationship with each other and must not be contented with division among religions (cited in Crossroad Website). He further act out his teachings of serving humanity irregardless of religious affiliations by being the first Pope to visit various non-Christian churches or assemblies and by being constantly in dialogue with other religions (Fitzgerald 2005). Both the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and of Pope John Paul II in reaching out to other religious traditions in line with the thrust of the Church of promoting unity and love among God’s people recognises the ultimate truth that all religious traditions believed in one and the same God. Thus, reaching out to each other fulfils the desire of God for His people to be one with Him. It leads to the “realisation that Christianity is one world religion amongst others” (Hick 1995:12). This recognition further affirmed that in each religion there is the presence of “elements which are true and good” (Hall 2003 par 1). This truth and goodness are in fact of the essence of the existence of God. The goal towards Salvation, the end goal of all Christians, therefore is not limited only with Christianity. It is the goal of getting the forgiveness and acceptance of God as atoned by Jesus Christ himself (p16). To reach salvation one must create a change in himself bringing himself to higher moral stage towards salvation. Other religious traditions define this change as transcending the ego to reach the higher self towards the Divine, the Higher Consciousness, and the Real, all of which are the manifestations of God in other religions. Thus, the teachings of the Church and of Pope John Paul II recognise that salvation is not limited to Christianity but encompasses other religions as well. The essence of Christianity after all was founded in Jesus Christ and His teachings and works did not limit with only one set of people or race but encompasses all human beings. The Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul therefore aptly aligned the Church towards the teachings of Jesus Christ when they taught towards reaching out to other religious traditions and recognizing the presence of truth and goodness in each of them. Thus, the Church must strive to reach out and be in dialogue with other religions to fulfil the creation of oneness among God’s people even in diversity. This in itself is the practical manifestation or application of the works of Jesus Christ. It is the goodness that He has tried to show the world. That He is not only for one set of people or race but for all humankind. Knitter (1999) raised the issue of “threatened Christian identity” (p.62) when the Church reach out to discourse with non-Christian religions. However, such threat is against the very core of the Christology of the Church which is the understanding of who really Jesus is amidst the “reality of other religions” (p. 62). There must be recognition of the universality of Jesus Christ who is one with God. Likewise His actions and works therefore must be seen as universal; applicable to all people irregardless of religion. Thus, the Church in recognizing this core Christology further recognises the pluralism in religion. The Christian faith must be manifested and act out in the day to day situations. The real world manifests different religious traditions wherein Christianity is only one of them. Christians cannot work only for themselves. It will not be in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ. They must seek, go out and serve others just as Jesus did. This service must not be limited to their co-Christians but extended to other people just as Jesus did. It is only through this that we experience and carry out the works of Jesus Christ consequently living the words of the Scriptures. Experiencing Him further strengthens our faith and makes us witness to His own existence not just a blind belief taught to us. Being in dialogue with other religious traditions gives us the opportunity to understand Jesus Christ better. In recognizing the pluralism of religion and the need to reach out in dialogue with them is in a way transforming the uniqueness of Jesus Christ not as standing by Himself but standing with others in the form of other religions (p.80). Thus, in putting Jesus as the centre of our Christian lives we recognise that we need “to be open to and in relation with others” (p.82). As what was stated in Matthew 24:40: “What you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me”. This message from the Gospel does not only refer to fellow Christians but to other people from other religious traditions as well. It implies that as Christians we must be open in discoursing with other religions. In doing so, Christ breaks our ego in believing that our own thinking is the ultimate thoughts. We must be in constant interaction with others to bring ourselves to a higher level of spiritual knowledge and realisation of the encompassing presence of God in the universe. Eck (1993:167) shared that “all people are seekers, and Christ, finally is what they seek” implying that the fellowship of God’s love does not encompass everyone and not just one religion nor does it alienate or discriminate across religious traditions. In the end, religious affiliations prepared each person to the ultimate affinity with God. Thus, plurality of religions should not be a problem in seeking religious dialogue. It is part of the process of reaching out to God and finally having the ultimate affinity with Him. This form part of the salvation process. The change it will create in the mindset of humanity will lead to its integration with God that will culminate in making one the people of God even in the midst of religious pluralism. Recognising the plurality of religious traditions does not mean just blindly accepting or observing such reality. There should be engagement in the midst of this diversity; a dialogue to reach out, to understand and be understood (p 191-193). It does not mean just observing tolerance or recognising relativism of religions. It means taking actions and making commitment to understand other religions and be understood in the process. Such understanding can only be achieved if there is mutual respect among religions. This can only be achieved through an honest dialogue of recognising distinction of each religion, understanding it and understanding ourselves. However, in seeking dialogue, the Church must recognise the fact that there might not be a full agreement among religions but just a give and take process of dialogue. “Mutual understanding and mutual transformation” (p.199) in world religions will be achieved in the end and eventually recognising that there is only one faith amidst these pluralism. As what Mark Heim (1995) stated, “There is only one religious truth and it is called by many names, experienced in many forms” (p. 145). In the end this truth is the presence of only one faith which is that in God. However, the Church follows the inclusive theological position when it believed that even though other religious traditions does not believed in Jesus Christ as God who atoned for the salvation of humankind, they are still included in the Christian Salvation atoned by Jesus Christ whether they are aware of it or not (p. 20). This proves that “Christ is a unique saviour and universal mediator of salvation” (Hunt 2005: 139). Further, this illustrates God’s love for his people. On the other hand, this inclusive theological position might rub against the sensitivity of other religions that do not believed in Jesus Christ as one with God. As presented earlier, honest dialogue and reaching out with other religions would bridge the understanding of where each teachings of each religion comes from and in the end mutual understanding for diversity of religious teachings and essence of each religion will be promoted. Thus, in the end, Christianity needs to be understood also by other religions for them to be able to appreciate and understand its teachings and relevance with its congregation. Even our Church needs to get the understanding of our fellow religions to create a mutual transformation of our existence within the pluralism of religious traditions. The Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II were acting in the light of God’s essence when it decided to teach understanding of the pluralism of religions and to reach out towards each of these religions in recognition of God’s universal presence. In doing so, the Church extinguished its ego of believing that it is only the real true religion. It elevated its spiritual understanding of the illumination of the presence of God; that there is no limit in His presence among mankind. In the end, the Church bridges the connection of God among religions and among mankind. Such action of the Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II in the end showed discernment to the true essence of God in relation to world religions. References Second Vatican Council 1965. The Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions. Retrieved 28 August 2009, from http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html#top Crossroad Website n.d. Qoutes & Excerpts: Pope John Paul II. Retrieved 28 August 2009 from http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/spirituality/pope.htm Archbishop Fitzgerald, M. 2005. Pope John Paul II and Interreligious Dialogue. Retrieved on 27 August 2009 from http://www.ewtn.com/library/CHISTORY/intrejp2.htm Hall, G. 2003. Catholic Church Teaching on its Relationship to Other Religions since Vatican II. Retrieved on 28 August 2009 from http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theology/ejournal/aet_1/Hall.htm Hick, J. 1995. The Pluralistic Hypothesis (A Christian Theology of Religions. The Rainbow of Faiths), Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, pp. 1- 30 Knitter, P. 1999. Uniqueness Revised, Jesus and Other Names Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis, pp. 61- 83 Eck, D. 1993. Is Our God Listening?, (Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras), Beacon Press, pp.166 -199. Heim, M. 1995. Salvations, A More Pluralistic Hypothesis, (Salvations: Truth and Difference in Religion), Maryknoll, New York, pp. 129-157. Hunt, A. 2005. Trinity and World Religions, (Trinity. Nexus of the Mysteries of Christian Faith). Maryknoll, New York, pp. 139-164 Read More