I found myself dwarfed by the Corinthian columns in the atrium of the Gregorian University in Rome as we assembled to enjoy our concluding banquet. I was seated at a table—golden tablecloths and glowing candles—which seemed to be a microcosm of the conference we were concluding.

It was a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate —”The Declaration of the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.” Across from me were two Sikhs attired with impressive turbans, an Orthodox rabbi from Israel, and a Benedictine monk from Belgium.

To my right were benefactors (husband and wife) of the Bea Center for Jewish-Christian Relations at the Gregorian and a woman scholar of the Koran from Georgetown University.

To my left was a tall Jesuit from India who had a Ph.D. from Harvard in Asian studies. I added to the complexity of the group—a Catholic Sister involved for 35 years in the Jewish-Christian dialogue.

What a wonderful opportunity to participate in this conference in my golden jubilee year. How unbelievable in 1955 that I could be enjoying this experience in 2005!

Chicagoans who attended the Nostra Aetate Conference in Rome are (l. to r.) Rev. John Pawlikowski, OSM and Sister Dianne Bergant, CSA of the Catholic Theological Union (CTU); Rabbi David Sandmel of K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Congregation and CTU; Mary Christine Athans, BVM, Loyola University Chicago; Dr. Michael Kotzin, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

U.S. Affects Vatican II

The three documents of Vatican II which were profoundly influenced by the experience of the church in the United States are the “The Decree on Ecumenism,” “The Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions,” and “The Declaration on Religious Liberty.”

Foundational to all of those documents is the ethical doctrine of religious freedom as a human right— personal and collective. Christians came late to acknowledging that principle. For centuries it was inconceivable that a state or empire did not have an “established religion.”

Those who espoused another religion (e.g. particularly the Jews) were confined to the ghetto, not able to own property or attend the university. The conviction that “error has no rights” resulted in the institution of the Inquisition.

Joan of Arc was not the only casualty. The Protestant Servetus was burned at the stake by John Calvin in Geneva for denying the doctrine of the Trinity.

From the time of the Reformation to the Enlightenment, Europe lived with the Peace of Westphalia (1648) which pronounced cuius regio eius religio —the religion of the prince is the religion of the people.

The Catholic Church had for years taught that the union of church and state was the perfect political arrangement with the Catholic Church as the one true church. Only when the Catholic Church was in the minority was there to be acceptance and tolerance.

The Syllabus of Errors (1864) is the best known of the papal documents condemning freedom of religion, separation of church and state and freedom of the press. Dialogue with other religions was unthinkable unless the “dialoging participant” accepted the supremacy of the Catholic Church.

Development of Doctrine Key

Only with an acceptance of the development of doctrine did the possibility of religious freedom and dialoguing with other religions become an actuality. In an address to the Catholic Theological Society of America in 1986, the Canadian theologian Gregory Baum stated: “It could be argued, I think, that the Church's recognition of the spiritual status of the Jewish religion is the most dramatic example of doctrinal turn-around in the age-old magisterium ordinarium. ”

Initially, Nostra Aetate was known for its statement on the Jews. Today, we read it anew and also note the remarkable statements on Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Our vision of God, the Church and the world has expanded. It is not just “tea and crumpets ecumenism” with those necessary but sometimes superficial actions of the early days.

With acknowledgement of a respect for freedom of conscience, and the acceptance that God's grace comes to our world through a variety of channels, we can now sit down to a substantive banquet.

As with any family, sometimes we disagree and argue. Sometimes there will be pain and tears. More often than not there will be sharing and joy as we discover new elements of our relationships with one another.

If moral values are based not just on laws, but on relationships, then inter-religious involvement is not just ancillary.

Reaching out to all of God's children, extending a helping hand and reconciliation—often needed in dealing with Jews and Muslims in particular—are part of Gospel living. We, in turn, will often discover in those encounters new possibilities for finding God in our lives.

About the author: Mary Christine Athans, BVM (Christophil), is Professor Emerita at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn., and also adjunct faculty at Loyola University, Chicago, and the Catholic Theological Union.

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© 2006 Sisters of Charity, BVM