Multireligious Prayer as a Signpost for Dialogue between Religions

Abstract

The interreligious prayer for peace and justice which Pope John Paul II initiated in Assisi in 1986 filled many with enthusiasm and caused storm of criticism. Some talked about the beginning of a new era in interreligious dialogue, others accused the Pope of syncretism and weakening of the Christian identity. In this article an attempt is made to assess theologically the prayer meetings in Assisi from the perspective of the official statements of the Magisterium Ecclesiae on interreligious dialogue and of recent developments in the theology of religions. The author focuses primarily on the teaching of John Paul II, who repeatedly referred to this issue after the first prayer meeting in Assisi. The Pope drew particular attention to the Holy Spirit present in every authentic prayer. Precisely this communion in the Holy Spirit - that precedes the ecclesial communion aimed at by the missionary activities of the Church - is the most serious theological argument in favor of the prayer meetings of Christians and non-Christians. Differences between religions, however, do not allow to make a common prayer. Therefore the Pope pointed out that the main reason for being in Assisi was not to pray together but „to be together in order to pray“. Thus one should distinguish between interreligious and multireligious prayer (Assisi). Some theologians, such as J. Dupuis, suggest taking a step towards interreligious prayer. This practice, however, could open a way to syncretism and blurring of Christian identity.