186
mon concern for justice and the development of
peoples.
Interreligious dialogue
250.âAn attitude of openness in truth and in
love must characterize the dialogue with the fol-
lowers of non-Christian religions, in spite of var-
ious obstacles and difficulties, especially forms
of fundamentalism on both sides. Interreligious
dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the
world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as
other religious communities. This dialogue is in
first place a conversation about human existence
or simply, as the bishops of India have put it, a
matter of âbeing open to them, sharing their joys
and sorrowsâ.
194
In this way we learn to accept
others and their different ways of living, think-
ing and speaking. We can then join one anoth-
er in taking up the duty of serving justice and
peace, which should become a basic principle of
all our exchanges. A dialogue which seeks social
peace and justice is in itself, beyond all merely
practical considerations, an ethical commitment
which brings about a new social situation. Ef-
forts made in dealing with a specific theme can
become a process in which, by mutual listening,
both parts can be purified and enriched. These
efforts, therefore, can also express love for truth.
194
âI
ndian
B
ishops
â C
onference
, Final Declaration of
the XXX Assembly:
The Role of the Church for a Better India
(8
March 2013), 8.9.
