On Thursday, September 13th, 2012 Pacifica Institute hosted Bishop Patrick Joseph McGrath. The theme was Everlasting peace through dialog, understanding, and mutual respect. Roman Catholicism and Pacifica Institute productive inter-religious dialog calls us to build conversations within our community. We both are indeed committed to pursuing dialog with the hope that dialog will lead to understanding and mutual respect. Mutual respect between religions and people are the foundation for a lasting peace. Starting from our neighbor hoods and hoping to a wider scale of world peace.
A copy of Bishop McGrath’s speech can be found below.
Pacifica Institute Presentation
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Sunnyvale, California
Good Evening. I am very grateful to you for this most kind invitation to this gathering of scholars, fellow clergy, religious workers, and others interested in this very important topic regarding the relationship between Catholics and Muslims.
Religious dialog between Catholics and non-Catholics is one of the most important works of the Catholic Church. We Catholics believe that all human beings must see within every person both a reflection of God and a mirror of themselves, and must honor and respect this dignity as a divine gift.
This teaching is rooted in one of the foundational documents of our global council, Vatican II, “Gaudium et Spes, or The Joys and Hopes.” Gaudium et Spes states that “…there must be made available to all people everything necessary for leading a life truly human, such as food, clothing, and shelter; the right to choose a state of life freely and to found a family, the right to education, to employment, to a good reputation, to respect, to appropriate information, to activity in accord with the upright norm of one’s own conscience, to protection of privacy and rightful freedom even in matters religious.” (paragraph 26)
This meeting here this evening is about us coming together out of mutual interest and a genuine desire to understand one another.
Pope Benedict XVI initiated a dialog between Muslims and Catholics in 2008 after the Regensberg speech. The initial dialog came about to clear up misunderstandings, but in the course of meeting with Muslim scholars and leaders, the Pope expressed a desire to return to the roots of the Catholic faith and see what we as Catholics have in common with Muslims. Since 2008, there have been other discussions between Muslim and Catholic communities throughout the world, and especially in this country with the full support of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
I believe that there is a place for historians, theologians and political experts in helping our communities live together in harmony, but we need to include regular community members in the conversation as well. Conversations should happen at the most foundational level of our respective communities: that is, our congregations. People “in the pews” – if you like – must engage in the dialog. If we do not include ordinary people in the conversation, then little, if anything, will change. Addressing social injustices with solid public policy backed by civil rights legislation is absolutely necessary. But if we are truly interested in creating a healthy, positive and sustainable peace between our peoples and communities, we must take the time NOW to build that relationship between peoples.
We cannot ignore the real tensions between our communities.
Like all relationships, we must take the time to listen to the pain. We must set aside a place and a space to hear from those who harbor hatred in their hearts and we must do this with the same earnestness that we give to victims of violence, poverty, and political marginalization. When we listen with open hearts to all sides we build the capacity for reconciliation and a lasting friendship. It is difficult to hate someone when you really get to know them !
And it is within this context that I want to acknowledge the work of the Islamic Networks Group (ING) and Maha Elgenaidi that brought me into contact with many of the Muslim leaders in the South Bay and introduced me to some of you here in the Pacifica Institute. I echo her sentiments regarding the recent violence in Libya and other parts of the Arab world. Extreme responses that result in destruction of property and the loss of life only serve to perpetuate division and hatred. I want to make it clear that I remain committed to ongoing dialogue that leads to peace, harmony and mutual respect.
There are wonderful examples of programs and events that show an increased interest in bringing Muslims and Catholics together. However, we cannot be naive and believe that everyone is supportive of our efforts to understand each other.
Sadly, there is some evidence, even today, that would suggest that our communities are growing further apart, and not closer together.
For example: the efforts of Christian organizations to block the construction of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee shows the antagonism leveled against Muslims by Christians. What’s happened in Murfreesboro is something that one might expect in other places, but here in our so-called “tolerant” Silicon Valley, we have a similar incident between non-Muslims – many of whom were identified as Christians – and a group of Muslims seeking to build the Cordoba Community Center.
I’m sure you’ve heard that a little over a week ago an angry audience vociferously opposed the construction of the community center in San Martin citing concerns about ground water contamination, soil run off, and traffic congestion.
It was also reported in the “Gilroy Dispatch” that throughout the meeting audience members interrupted speakers, and yelled at inappropriate times, and that one of the attendees made a comment implying that the center would be tied to violent offshoots of Islam and this was followed by resounding applause of approval. It seems to me that perhaps there was something more to the opposition to the construction of the center than environmental concerns ! !
Another recent example of intolerance in the Bay Area was the placement of anti-Muslim ads on the MUNI buses in San Francisco. It took months of negotiating with the City and MUNI to respond to the ads.
Throughout the country Anti-Muslim incidents are becoming more common and the intensity of these incidents is increasing, including here in the Bay Area.
It is time for us to do something ! ! It is time to act ! !
We must move beyond “reaction mode”.
We must take the time to know each other beyond the ” tragedies ” that bring us together !
We clergy must take the time to understand each other’s theology and religious practices. Our clergy must encourage leaders from within their respective communities to get together to learn how to listen to each other with openness.
Our conversation tonight and the conversations that will follow this evening must be the opposite of what happened in Murfreesboro and San Martin.
As religious leaders we – lay and ordained – are obligated to forge a friendship among ourselves for the purpose of leading our people to “lita’arafu,” the Muslim teaching that I understand means, “to come to know each other so as we do not despise each other.”
To restate this teaching, let us forge a relationship that will move us forward together in a spirit of positive communication and in mutual respect that will lead to a relationship of love and mutual support.
I want to thank the Pacifica Institute for giving me the time to express my hope that our communities will begin to understand one another.
I see this evening as one important step toward building a friendship between Muslims and Catholics. Thank you.