BEING FRANCISCAN Class Eight September 27, Franciscan Presence and Dialogue: Living with Diversity in a Pluralistic Society

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1 BEING FRANCISCAN Class Eight September 27, 2018 Franciscan Presence and Dialogue: Living with Diversity in a Pluralistic Society Pope Francis told young people in Estonia, two days ago: They [young people] are outraged by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young, and simply by the passive role we assign them We ourselves need to be converted, he said. We have to realize that, in order to stand by your side, we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off. Before the Second Vatican Council, salvation was generally understood as accepting the faith, receiving the sacraments and hoping for eternal life. However, the Franciscan perspective, which is far more in line with the thoughts of the Second Vatican Council, speaks of integral salvation, which is fundamentally fulfillment of our human needs spiritually, materially, socially, politically, and progressively. God s invitation, then, is, in the words of the Franciscan missiologist Arnuli Camp, a dialogical invitation which stimulates us and incites us, to work for the betterment of our total human condition so that the kingdom of God may come a kingdom of love, justice, unity, and peace. This perspective is grasped in the Secular Franciscan Rule, when it states: Let the Secular Franciscans be active by the testimony of their own human life and even with courageous individual and communal initiatives, in the promotion of justice and in particular in the field of public life, committing themselves through concrete choices in harmony with their faith.

2 With this outlook, we come to realize that salvation is a much broader term than it was at the time of Francis and Clare, and that one of the repercussions of such a viewpoint is that one who is sent into the contemporary world is sent for very different reasons than in the days of Christendom. We are sent to share the Way that has been revealed to us for a better, more human existence in this world The Christian who understands this concept of salvation does not say If you don t follow the Christian way, you ll go to hell but Let me share with you what has brought meaning into my life. A polemic attitude is replaced by a dialogical invitation. This approach is in imitation of the approach that God takes with us: God invites us into God s life and Spirit so that we may have Life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). So dialogue is not a technique. It is a theological method based upon this understanding of God s invitation with the Lord. Hence the necessity of listening (like we talked about in classes 5 and 7). Now the seemingly simple greeting of Francis, Pax et Bonum, is filled with new meaning, conveying Francis s response to the other as other, while it is also the warm greeting of a sister or brother meeting a stranger only to discover a long lost and unknown sister or brother. In Redemptoris missio, written in 1990, Pope John Paul II states: Thus the Spirit who blows where he wills, (Jn 3:8) who was already at work in the world before Christ was glorified (AG4), who has filled the world, holds all things together and knows what is said (Wis 1:7), leads us to broaden our vision so as to ponder his activity in every age and in every place. I have often called this fact to mind and it has guided me in my meetings with a wide variety of peoples. The Church s

3 relationship with other religions is dictated by a twofold respect: Respect for man in his quest for answers to the deepest questions of his life, and respect for the action of the Spirit in man. Excluding any mistaken interpretation, the interreligious meeting held in Assisi was meant to confirm my conviction that every authentic prayer is prompted by the Holy Spirit, who is mysteriously present in every human heart. Before we can discuss the meaning of this dialogue along with its characteristics, it is important to know the basic attitudes we bring to that dialogue. These perspectives include: Faith in Life Relating as Sisters and Brothers Respect for Cultures Respect for Religions

4 The Common Search for Meaning

5 We must be convinced of the value of pluralism. Today pluralism is perceived as a value in itself, while in previous times it was considered intolerable, at least officially, though it always existed in one form or another. Such a stance was justified by the principle of noncontradiction: logically if there are diverse positions, ideologies and religions, they contradict one another. Therefore, one must decide which one is true and which false, which right and which wrong since all convictions cannot be equally true or right. Today, on our postmodern world, the conclusion of our syllogisms begin not with therefore but with nevertheless. Without escaping into an untenable relativism, pluralism questions the either / or approach to life and its convictions. Pluralism recognizes the rich manifestation of an inexhaustible and boundless reality. So the differing views and perspectives of others are seen not as threats to our own firmly held beliefs but as ways of enlightening and challenging our own views and opinions. This new understanding encourages us to become acquainted with and to accept our pluriform world. Dialogue, then, has become a theological method which strives to restore and maintain peace and harmony in a highly pluralistic world. Sincere dialogue implies, on the one hand, mutual acceptance of differences, or even of contradictions, and on the other, respect for the free decision of persons taken according to the dictates of their conscience. [Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Proclamation] In that spirit, we can offer A Decalogue of Rules for Franciscan Dialogue which may help us to fulfill our mission in a pluralistic society: 1. Franciscan Dialogue is animated by contemplative consciousness (class seven)

6 2. Enter the dialogue as a minores, avoiding quarrels and disputes while being subject to all 3. Be honest and upright, bearing witness that you are a Christian 4. Trust in the other accepting her or his honesty and uprightness 5. Live among other with different faith and life views without fear or suspicion 6. Seize the invitation; we must be the first to ask people for a conversation, not waiting for them to request an encounter with us 7. Share the Good News in word and deed, showing that this News is good more by what you do than by what you say 8. Work for the betterment of your world, especially those in need 9. Seek to understand rather than be understood especially in your ability to listen 10.And be an instrument of peace (that will be covered in class nine)

7 11. Mother Earth The diversity with which we live in a pluralistic society, or course, is not merely religious. It is also a diversity of races, cultures, and political and moral perspectives, to use but a few examples. This Decalogue can be utilized in all circumstances and they can be summarized in one overriding principle: God created this individual for whom I must have the utmost respect and reverence, which are virtues far beyond simple tolerance. A. General Objective: To know how Franciscans dialogue with difference in a pluralistic world. B. Specific Objectives: 1. To understand Francis s view of salvation 2. To be familiar with the basic attitudes that help cultivate dialogue with diversity 3. To be acquainted with and accept the value of a pluralistic world. 4. To be able to distinguish between various ways of dialoging, particularly one Franciscans resonate with.

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