For Christian life to be authentic it must have the cross. The authentic Christian who lives in dialogue must therefore carry his/her cross daily (Lk 9:23). Where then in dialogue can we have the cross? There are four ways by which we engage in dialogue: by...
The title of this article enclosed in quotation marks refers to the so-called atheists who in the past did not believe in God but now have been converted and believe in God. Without the quotation marks the expression, Conversion to God, generally refers to those who...
Conversion or change of religion is not the aim of an authentic interreligious dialogue. In the Primer on Interreligious Dialogue consisting of proposals from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Section A, Question 5, page 3, which I prepared for our archdiocese, we read this Question...
Towards the end of last week's Shalom I wrote these words: "It is my hope that this year of Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue will see a more frequent faith sharing among Christian Churches and faith traditions. This might happen when dialogue is rightly understood as...
Last week's Shalom was about ecumenism as basically a prayer movement. Before He died Jesus prayed for His disciples and followers that "they all may be one...
It was during His prayer to the Father for His disciples and other would-be believers that Jesus uttered the famous words, "Father, ...
Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue (EIRD) started in the year 1992. Although every year since the 1960s of post-Vatican II the World Council of Churches (mainline Protestants) and the Pontifical Council on Ecumenism were already celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, WPU, (January 18-25),...
EIRD, short for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue, has been chosen by the Catholic Bishops as a final nation-wide activity in preparation for the 500th anniversary celebration of the Christianization of the Philippines. An important question: What has EIRD to do with Christianization? Or, more specifically, How...
Last Saturday 7 December 2019 the Davao Archdiocese officially opened the start of a one-year preparation for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Christianization of the Philippines. How should we do this? The CBCP in signing Year 2020 as one of the 9 years...
I am glad there are positive rumors about peace talks between the Duterte Government and the CPP-NPA-NDF. I know Joma Sison and Luis Jalandoni personally. In early 2000 I went to Utrecht, Netherlands, to negotiate for the release of Philippine Army's General Obillo and Captain Montealto....