WYD 2008 - Interreligious dialogue as a way of life

Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, Papal Nuncio to Egypt, speaks to H2onews from Sydney on the ecumenical element present at WYD08.

"So, this is a very, it's an excellent initiative, I think. And it seems to me very important that this dimension be brought into the World Youth Day because, actually, it is a dimension of Christian living today."

He explains that dialogue with believers of other faiths should not be confined to large-scale, official events, but must become a way of life for Catholics.


"It doesn't always have to get the headlines in the newspapers. Not all the time. It doesn't have to be World Youth Day all the time. It can be very simple things. People in the neighborhood getting together, getting to know one another, celebrating each other's feast days or inviting other people on our feast day."


Dialogue, he says, does not mean compromise of inherent doctrines, but rather is an approach of openness and mutual respect.

"Because sometimes there is a fear that if you are reaching out to people of other religions, then you are necessarily watering down your own faith. And that is not the case. A good example of that is Pope John Paul II."

According to the Archbishop, Former Head of the Pontifical Council of Interreligious Dialogue, the interaction between Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians of every denomination at WYD is something very positive.

"The more we meet together, the more we get to know one another, the more we are willing to cooperate together, the better it will be."

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