The New York Times reports that Pope Benedict XVI has expressed doubts about whether interreligious dialogue, “in the strict sense of the word,” is really possible:
The pope’s comments came in a letter he wrote to Marcello Pera, an Italian center-right politician and scholar whose forthcoming book, “Why We Must Call Ourselves Christian,” argues that Europe should stay true to its Christian roots. A central theme of Benedict’s papacy has been to focus attention on the Christian roots of an increasingly secular Europe.
In quotations from the letter that appeared on Sunday in Corriere della Sera, Italy’s leading daily newspaper, the pope said the book “explained with great clarity” that “an interreligious dialogue in the strict sense of the word is not possible.” In theological terms, added the pope, “a true dialogue is not possible without putting one’s faith in parentheses.”
More at The New York Times.
This story makes it look as if Benedict is now casting doubt about the usefulness of interfaith dialogue, but it should be seen in the context of what this “strict sense” really means. We at Reuters didn’t see anything new in his comments and explain why on our religion blog FaithWorld.