Vatican says Assisi meeting will not include interreligious prayer

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI and representatives of the world's major religions will make speeches and sign a common commitment to peace when they meet in Assisi in October, but they will not pray together, the Vatican said.

In fact, Pope Benedict's formal prayer service will be held at the Vatican the evening before the encounter Oct. 27 in Assisi with leaders of other Christian communities and representatives of the world's main religions.

The October gathering will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's "prayer for peace" encounter in Assisi. The 1986 event was seen by many as a milestone in interreligious relations but was criticized by some Catholics who said it appeared to inappropriately mix elements from Christian and non-Christian religions.

The Vatican press office issued a statement April 2 giving the theme for the 2011 event -- "Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace" -- and a general outline of events.

"Every human being is ultimately a pilgrim in search of truth and goodness," the Vatican statement said.

The search requires people to enter into dialogue with others, "believers and unbelievers alike, without sacrificing one's own identity or indulging in forms of syncretism" where elements of different religions are used indiscriminately, the statement said.

"To the extent that the pilgrimage of truth is authentically lived, it opens the path to dialogue with the other, it excludes no one and it commits everyone to be a builder of fraternity and peace. These are the elements that the Holy Father wishes to place at the center of reflection," the Vatican said.

The statement said Pope Benedict will prepare for the Assisi gathering by hosting a prayer service with Catholics from the Diocese of Rome in St. Peter's Basilica Oct. 26.

Other Catholic dioceses and other Christian communities are encouraged to organize similar prayer services, the statement said.

The Vatican said the pope was inviting to Assisi representatives of other religions, other Christian communities and representatives of the worlds of culture and science who do not profess a religious belief, but who "regard themselves as seekers of the truth and are conscious of a shared responsibility for the cause of justice and peace." The pontifical councils for interreligious dialogue, for promoting Christian unity and for culture are distributing the invitations.

Pope Benedict and other participants will take a train to Assisi Oct. 27, the statement said.

After speeches in the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, there will be a simple lunch, followed by "a period of silence for individual reflection and prayer."

In the afternoon, participants will go in pilgrimage to the Basilica of St. Francis, the saint's resting place, where they will make "a solemn renewal of the joint commitment to peace," the Vatican said.

This means they will be silently praying/reflecting in the same room. Not worshipping or praying together in union.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI and representatives of the world's major religions will make speeches and sign a common commitment to peace when they meet in Assisi in October, but they will not pray together, the Vatican said.

See Stevus, even the Vatican admits they, in the past, have prayed together.    

 :heretic:

This means they will be silently praying/reflecting in the same room. Not worshipping or praying together in union.

He means like last time around, you know when they had the earthquake.  

Quote from: Oremus

Quote from: stevusmagnus

This means they will be silently praying/reflecting in the same room. Not worshipping or praying together in union.

And how is this not a "validation" of other religions? They may not be reciting prayers together, but by allotting time and space for each religious leader to pray in silence, they're acknowledging that their prayers are valid.

Or am I misunderstanding?

What are they going to do?

Ban all silent non Catholic prayer and enforce through mind scans?

I'm not saying this to be rude, but don't be so elementary.

Of course they cannot prevent someone from praying silently. But scheduling and setting aside specific times throughout the day for personal reflection and prayer is facilitating that behavior. And by facilitating that behavior, they are approving it. This behavior should not be encouraged but discouraged.

Will they be covering up the Crucifix's so as not to offend the non-Christians like they did in the past?

What`s wrong Stevus, with interreligious prayer?

Depends on what you mean by "interreligious prayer".

Quote from: stevusmagnus

Quote from: Oremus

Quote from: stevusmagnus

This means they will be silently praying/reflecting in the same room. Not worshipping or praying together in union.

And how is this not a "validation" of other religions? They may not be reciting prayers together, but by allotting time and space for each religious leader to pray in silence, they're acknowledging that their prayers are valid.

Or am I misunderstanding?

What are they going to do?

Ban all silent non Catholic prayer and enforce through mind scans?

I'm not saying this to be rude, but don't be so elementary.

Of course they cannot prevent someone from praying silently. But scheduling and setting aside specific times throughout the day for personal reflection and prayer is facilitating that behavior. And by facilitating that behavior, they are approving it. This behavior should not be encouraged but discouraged.

You raise a good point. This is the problem with calling these meetings and why many Catholics, even those in "full communion" have objected. The major objection is that bringing these religious leaders to Assisi to pray, even separately, gives the impression of a positive view of non-Catholic worship and prayer.

I think the Vatican response would be that they do have a positive view of these people praying and worshipping, recognizing that they are not Catholic and that ideally they should be. Their stance is that we should reach out to non-Catholics by bringing them together and concentrate on common causes and issues and build lines of communication. The Pope sees the policies of the past, condemnations from afar, as ineffective and isolating especially in our era of "global community" as the world grows smaller due to technology. They would say it is a fact that they are non-Catholic, but them praying or worshipping is better than not praying or worshipping. They would see the time of prayer/ reflection as facilitating prayer. They see prayer as man's reaching out to communicate to God even if man has an improper understanding of God. Thus prayer is good objectively, even if subjectively, they hold errors as to God's nature and how God wishes them to understand Him. They see it as facilitation of religious faith in a world of agnosticism and secularism. Also, it may be a time where these religious leaders experience Catholics and overcome some of their prejudices and fears about Catholics and Catholicism which is a first step in breaking down barriers to conversion.

The basic difference between them and us is that the Vatican recognizes these faiths are where they are and chooses to reach out to them in a non threatening way to at least open the door. Our point is that this necessarily involves the appearance of indifferentism, syncretism, etc. that is unavoidable. The Vatican thinks it is avoidable, thus the time for silent reflection instead of what they did the previous two times.