Catholic Church > Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales > Departments > Dialogue and Unity > Committee for Relations with Other Religions
Committee purpose
This Committee helps Catholics deepen their faith by promoting a greater awareness and understanding of other faiths, through dialogue, prayer and action in the light of the Church's teaching. The Committee also organises conferences and endeavours to support the work of Diocesan Interfaith Co-ordinators, Catholic chaplains and all those engaged in Catholic education and formation.
The Committee for Relations with Other Religions was set up in response to the promulgation of the Holy See's Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, Nostra Aetate proclaimed by Pope Paul VI on 28th October 1965.
Inter-Religious dialogue
Inter-religious dialogue is intrinsic to the life and mission of the Church. The Department of Dialogue and Unity is the main conduit for inter-religious dialogue within the Catholic Bishops' Conference. There are four committees within the Department that deal with different aspects of inter-religious dialogue.
Archbishop Emeritus Kevin McDonald of Southwark
Chair of the Committee for Relations with Other Religions
Katharina Muller
Secretary to the Committee for Relations with Other Religions
Meeting God in Friend and Stranger
The new teaching document of the Bishops’ Conference on interfaith dialogue has been endorsed by the Bishops’ Conference during their meeting in Leeds during the third week of November 2009. The document encourages interfaith Dialogue and provides clear guidelines for it, as well as a concise representation of the Church’s attitude to other religions. The document will be launched in April 2010.
The Committee for Relations with Other Religions has also produced a series of leaflets on interfaith dialogue and a booklet entitled Interfaith Dialogue: The Teaching of the Catholic Church; bringing about understanding and friendly relations with those who believe in God and live their lives with religious principles and purpose contribute to the harmony of society and the happiness of all. These leaflets offer useful information to those who want to overcome the obstacle of ignorance and promote, through dialogue, prayer and action the Catholic Church's teaching of respect and love for all peoples. The leaflets were prepared for the Catholic community over a number of years by the Committee for Relations with Other Religions of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.
Getting to Know people of Other Faiths
Among the leaflets on interfaith dialogue, the Getting to Know people of Other Faiths series includes:
Our neighbour's faith and ours
What is Islam?
What is Buddhism?
Who was the Buddha?
What is Hinduism?
The Mosque
Our Sikh neighbours
What is the Baha'i faith?
Is God at work outside the Church?
Prayer and Prayers in Islam
What is Jainism?
Hindu Festivals
Aspects of Judaism
What is Shinto?
Who are the Zoroastrians?
African Traditional Religion
What is Christianity?
Muslims and the Question of Fasting
Differences within Islam
A Short Introduction to Dialogue with Muslims
Catholics and Other Faiths
The General Information series include:
Hospital Chaplaincy and Other Faiths
Ways of Sharing Faith
The Family Life series in other religions include:
Family Life in Islam
Hindu Families
Japanese Religion in Family Life
Family Life among Sikhs
Japanese Religion in Family Life
Family Life in Buddhism
Aside these useful leaflet resources, the Committee also liaises with other organisations who are equally committed to the development of interreligious affairs.
Some of the papers produced by the Committee and its associates will be made available here in the future.
The following websites may be of interest:
Vatican the Holy See
Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue
Inter Faith Marriage Network
Muslim/Christian Marriage Support Group
Muslims ask, Christians answer
The Golden Rule - Scarboro Missions
Pope John Paul 11 Address to the Representatives of the World Religions at Assisi on 24 January 2004
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Interfaith Calendar
Interfaith Network for the UK
World Conference of Religions for Peace
Return/visit our main Dialogue with Other Religions page