Religious Pluralism: Transforming Society Using New Concepts of Evangelization and Dialogue

Abstract

For more than half a century, the Catholic Church has deliberated the effects of religious pluralism on its evangelizing mission and rapport in the contemporary world. The Second Vatican Council, after examining theological tradition and scrutinizing the signs of the times, produced many noteworthy documents that modernize the Catholic Church and prudently integrate ideas of religious pluralism into its functions of mission, evangelization, and interreligious dialogue. Yet, tensions remain between the Catholic Church’s mission as the universal sacrament of salvation and its recognition of religious pluralism. Pope John Paul II strived for balance while Pope Benedict XVI expressed concern that justifying multiple religions might lead to relativism. For Pope Francis, the combination of mission, evangelization, and interreligious dialogue is a form of engagement, a means of being in solidarity with the poor and remedying social issues, such as global climate change, poverty, and systematic injustice. Religious pluralism consequently transforms society, serving as an impetus for the Catholic Church’s evolving use of interreligious dialogue to develop mutually respectful relationships and inspire a new evangelization of multifaith collaboration for the global common good.

1. Introduction

In 1964, American singer-songwriter Bob Dyan released the song “The Times They Are a-Changin” with lyrics that reflect an increasing awareness of multiculturalism, a call for unity, and actions necessary to achieve social change within the United States. The growing effects of globalization and shifting worldviews likewise accentuate and amplify reactions to religious diversity, including religious assimilation, pseudo-pluralism, and pluralism. During the Second Vatican Council, delegates deliberated the implications of religious pluralism for the Catholic Church’s evangelizing mission and relationship in the world. The Catholic Church’s mission is to share Christ’s good news of salvation with all people with the hope and expectation of conversion to the one, true faith. Therefore, the pervasiveness of religious pluralism and its association with modern secularization and postmodern desecularization (refer to Berger 1999, pp. 1–18) necessitate a reevaluation of Catholicism’s existing notions of mission and evangelization and their integration with the objectives of interreligious dialogue. In contrast to evangelization and proclamation, the primary goal of dialogue is not conversion; it seeks mutual respect and understanding by sharing knowledge and appreciating uniqueness.

The Catholic Church began an open, optimistic process of discernment and renewal during the papacy of Paul VI and the Second Vatican Council. Years later, Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI introduced ideas of a “new” evangelization as the Catholic Church sought ways to recognize religious pluralism without succumbing to relativism. Pope Francis encourages interreligious encounters that shift the emphasis from dialogue to diapraxis, especially multi-religious cooperation directed toward the common good and a preferential option for poor, marginalized people. By valuing religious pluralism, interreligious dialogue establishes an evangelization of interdependent solidarity among diversity. Multi-faith coalitions that respect differences and honor human dignity are powerful forces that transform society.

2. Second Vatican Council Documents

Convened in 1962 by Pope John XXIII, the Second Vatican Council’s objectives were to modernize the Catholic Church by refreshing its liturgy and traditions and updating its rapport with the contemporary world. After Pope John XXIII’s death, Pope Paul VI asked Council members to be open-minded during their deliberations because renewal is inevitable, deeper self-knowledge is essential, and dialogue is to be extended worldwide to achieve peace (Paul VI 1964, nos. 8–17). The Council then evaluated ways to revitalize the faith, to update its theology and liturgy, and to establish open, dialogic relationships with political and social institutions as well as diverse religious traditions. After much discussion and debate, the Council produced many noteworthy documents that reinforce Catholic Church identity and articulate ground-breaking ideas about religious pluralism pertaining to the Catholic Church’s mission, evangelization, and dialogue with other faiths.

2.1. Ad Gentes

The Second Vatican Council decree, Ad Gentes, in many ways struggled with the growing reality of religious pluralism since recognizing and validating other religions conflicts with the Catholic Church’s concepts of mission and evangelization. The functions of mission and evangelization are closely related; many Council documents utilize the terms interchangeably to mean proclaiming the Gospel, teaching, witnessing through charity, and then inviting people to embrace Christ and become members of His Church. Ad Gentes asserts that the Catholic Church is “a universal sacrament of salvation [that] strives ever to proclaim the Gospel to all men [sic], [in order to] save and renew every creature that all things may be restored in Christ, and all men may constitute one family in Him” (Ad Gentes 1965, no. 1). Therefore, the pilgrim Church “is missionary by her very nature [and] the proper purpose of this missionary activity is evangelization” (Ad Gentes 1965, nos. 2, 6). The decree also states that all Christians are to genuinely witness and participate in nondiscriminatory, noncoercive missionary activities out of love for God and humanity. By evangelizing with appropriate motives, the Catholic Church’s mission creates conditions for the possibility of an epiphany that reveals noble aspects of human nature, especially its hopes and aspirations (Ad Gentes 1965, nos. 8–9). Evangelization by dialogue and example not only reaches out to enlighten members of various religions, it is a means to renew and strengthen faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

2.2. Ecclesiam Suam

Written during the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, Ecclesiam Suam, reiterates that the Catholic Church’s mission is to unite all people in mutual love. The world’s spiritual welfare is the “source of our evangelical duty, our mandate to teach all nations, and our apostolic endeavor to strive for the eternal salvation of all men [sic]” (Paul VI 1964, no. 64). Though preaching and proclamation remain the primary techniques of evangelization, the encyclical adds dialogue as a “recognized method of the apostolate” (Paul VI 1964, no. 81), because the Incarnate Word, the Gospels, and prayer are all forms of discourse through which God initiates the divine dialogue of salvation out of love for humanity. Although tension exists between evangelization and dialogue, the encyclical emphasizes that the latter is “to win souls, not to settle questions definitively” (Paul VI 1964, nos. 66, 78). The encyclical also addresses other concerns that involve how to adapt Catholic Church teaching to historical circumstances and local social conditions, ways to prevent relativism, methods to retain Christian identity, and techniques to circumvent ambiguous compromises that dilute truth during dialogue. Pope Paul VI acknowledges a special unity among Christians and an existing albeit sometimes challenging relationship with the world’s other monotheistic religions. He recognizes moral and spiritual values in Afro-Asiatic religions; yet he is hesitant to accept them on equal terms with Christianity (Paul VI 1964, nos. 107–108). Nevertheless, all people form one human family that shares common principles, goals, and dreams for a better future.

2.3. Nostra Aetate

The very brief though influential declaration, Nostra Aetate, examines the Catholic Church’s relationship with other religions as a way to foster unity and love in the world. Nostra Aetate likewise emphasizes one human community, with God as its common origin and final goal; a merciful God, extending the divine plan of salvation to include all people (Nostra Aetate 1965, no. 1). The declaration recognizes tensions in the Catholic Church’s relationships with Islam and Judaism and endeavors to achieve mutual understanding and respect through interreligious dialogue and shared social justice activities. Different religious traditions address humanity’s ultimate concerns informed by diverse national, cultural, historical, and social values; therefore, “the Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions [and endeavors to] recognize, preserve, and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values” (Nostra Aetate 1965, no. 2) found within them. Similar to the Council decree, Ad Gentes, which diminishes this point by stating that “whatever truth and grace are to be found among the nations, [is] as a sort of secret presence of God” who frees and restores all things to Christ (Ad Gentes 1965, no. 9), Nostra Aetate insists that the Catholic Church “must proclaim Christ ‘the way, the truth, and the life’” (Nostra Aetate 1965, no. 2). Conditional statements like these imply fulfillment theory or inclusivist thinking, which admits that truth may exist in various faiths, however only when framed within Christian beliefs.

2.4. Summary

By the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church had redefined itself and its relationship with the world, especially regarding religious pluralism. One result was a new perspective concerning a theology of religions. For the most part, the Catholic Church’s attitude toward other religious traditions was conditionally favorable. The Council’s spirited discussions resulted in a shift from a foundation of exclusivism to inclusivism, with a nod toward religious pluralism. Jacques Dupuis perceived religious pluralism as “the question of the horizontal relationship of these same traditions with Christianity or the Church” (Dupuis 1991, p. 98). Karl Rahner contributed his concept of a supernatural existential, “a mode of being, or ‘existential,’ which is constituted by the salvific will of God for all men, to become an abiding element in their spiritual existence and to belong inescapably to human nature… [even if] the way in which he experiences this grace is not one in which it becomes the object of his conscious awareness” (Rahner 1974, p. 35). Moreover, Rahner posited the idea of an anonymous Christian, as having a “relationship between the individual and the concrete history of salvation, including Jesus Christ” (Rahner 2006, p. 306) through sincerely practicing one’s own tradition, instead of explicitly being Christian. Many theologians, including Hans Küng, Rosemary Ruether, and Gregory Baum criticized Rahner’s theological basis for an anonymous Christian.

Though Yves Congar was most influential in developing the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, he supported Rahner’s theories. Congar found the term, anonymous Christian, questionable, yet he concurred with a positive theology of grace through other religions as “an authentic reality in terms of the condition of people not evangelized” (Congar 1973, p. 84). Paul Knitter claims that while the Second Vatican Council “affirms the universality of grace and salvation… it does not state that the religions are ways of salvation” (Knitter 1996, p. 124). He perceives “a residual ambiguity in its [the Council’s] understanding of just how effective the truth and grace within the religions are” (Knitter 1996, p. 124) even as the Catholic Church reiterates it is necessary for salvation. Some Council documents stress the necessity of Catholic Church membership for salvation, while others suggest salvation may be possible for all people of goodwill.

After the Council, mission activity continues to proclaim Christ’s salvific message and evangelization remains a necessary function for converting people to Christianity. Interreligious dialogue also contributes to the Catholic Church’s mission by fostering “unity in what is necessary; freedom in what is unsettled, and charity in any case” (Gaudium et Spes 1965, no. 92). Nevertheless, mission and interreligious dialogue remain in tension, especially if mission activity minimizes other religious traditions’ teachings and morals while dialogue acknowledges the values from diverse religions and cultures. The Second Vatican Council documents likewise reflect this tension between the goals of mission and dialogue with unclear or contradictory meanings regarding the relationship of these two essential functions within the Catholic Church. Thus, additional discussion and pontifical documents were necessary to explain scriptural and theological questions about religious pluralism and its ability to transform society through evangelization and interreligious dialogue.

3. Post Conciliar Documents

After the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church continued to address existing tensions among mission, evangelization, proclamation, and interreligious dialogue as well as to define them theologically in relation to each other and with respect to religious pluralism. Subsequent documents acknowledge that mission is “a single but complex and articulated reality” (Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 1984, no. 13), which manifests multiple ways in creation. Mission and proclamation, for example, evolve from their unidirectional focus on conversion to include bidirectional interreligious dialogue. As participants approach one another with a heightened, sensitive openness, discourse enables them to share and reflect on diverse religious tenets, morals, and perspectives. With novel insights and a deeper understanding of ultimate reality, many participants reinforce or reevaluate their religious beliefs similar to what happens during effective evangelization.

3.1. Evangelii Nuntiandi

One of Pope Paul VI’s last papal documents, Evangelii Nuntiandi, reemphasizes that the mission and duty of the Catholic Church is evangelization. Through the actions of the Holy Spirit, Catholic communities exemplify Jesus Christ’s evangelizing mission to save humanity and renew society. The first step is to be present and to witness among people personally and socially, then gently begin to proclaim the Good News followed by more detailed preaching and catechesis. After conversion and baptism, the newly transformed Christian evangelizes others (Paul VI 1975, nos. 22–24). Each step strengthens relationships with others and builds community. The complexity of evangelization requires fidelity to Jesus’ salvific message and proper preparation in order to proclaim it without distortion. This is particularly vital during dialogic encounters with members from different religious traditions whose “searching for God, often made with great sincerity and righteousness of heart [is incomplete, because the Christian] religion effectively establishes with God an authentic and living relationship which the other religions do not succeed in doing” (Paul VI 1975, no. 53). Although the Catholic Church affirms that it respects and esteems other religions, these statements seem to question what valuable knowledge religious pluralism might contribute during interreligious dialogue. They also indicate that evangelization is necessary for members of other religions to experience a true relationship with God.

3.2. Dialogue and Mission

Before the Second Vatican Council ended, Pope Paul VI established the Secretariat for Non-Christians, which Pope John Paul II later renamed as the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Its 1984 document, referred to as Dialogue and Mission, defines the theological foundation of mission to be Trinitarian and its anthropological origin as an essential duty and normative expression of faith, undertaken with genuine love, which respects human dignity and freedom of conscience (Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 1984, nos. 9–10, 18–19). The goal of mission work is evangelization involving two forms of conversion: a conversion of heart toward God’s universal love and the possible conversion of spiritual or religious belief (Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 1984, nos. 37–39). Dialogue is crucial and inclusive; it is “the norm and necessary manner of every form of Christian mission [and] any sense of mission not permeated by such a dialogical spirit would go against the demands of true humanity and against the teachings of the Gospel” (Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 1984, no. 29). The document also describes four forms of dialogue, including the dialogue of life, works, experts, and religious experience (Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 1984, nos. 29–35). Yet, tension persists between mission and dialogue. Conversion is the purpose of missionary proclamation while dialogic attitudes promote mutual understanding and collaboration out of respect for religious pluralism.

3.3. Redemptoris Missio

Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, Redemptoris Missio, reiterates that missionary activity is the duty of all Christians. By witnessing to their faith, believers encourage humanity’s conversion to God and the promise of eschatological salvation. Nevertheless, missionary work respects a person’s dignity, conscience, and freedom to answer God’s call to faith. Three situations that necessitate evangelization are traditional missionary work among people who do not know Christ, Christian communities proclaiming the good news through example, and the Baptized who have lost their faith or have left Catholicism (John Paul II 1990, no. 33). Evangelization thus involves proclamation, a faith-filled communal act leading to conversion, encouragement, or a renewal of belief. The Catholic Church sees no conflict between proclamation and interreligious dialogue; they are distinct, although connected parts of mission guided by the universal activity of the Holy Spirit (John Paul II 1990, nos. 28, 55). During interreligious dialogue, Catholics proclaim that salvation comes from Jesus Christ in the context of religious pluralism by sharing their faith and knowledge. The Catholic Church’s evangelizing mission likewise occurs from activities supporting justice and integral human development, such as educating and caring for the poor and marginalized people.

3.4. Dialogue and Proclamation

A goal of the document, Dialogue and Proclamation, is to identify the characteristics and relationship between its namesake functions within the Catholic Church’s mission. Evangelizing mission refers to the broad notion of evangelization while proclamation communicates the Gospel message and facilitates conversion by inviting a person to make a commitment of faith through Baptism and catechesis. The document also reiterates the urgency and qualities necessary for proclamation found in Evangelii Nuntiandi, including confidence, faithfulness, humility, respect, inculturation, and dialogue (Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 1991, nos. 66–70). In fact, the document confirms dialogue as “one of the integral elements of the Church’s evangelizing mission” (Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 1991, no. 9) that involves the witness and deepening of one’s own religious convictions while remaining open to learning about and assessing different religious beliefs. Even though dialogue and proclamation are important components of the Catholic Church’s evangelizing mission, they are not interchangeable. Interreligious dialogue is reciprocal communication that occasionally clarifies theological differences and cultural contradictions that leads to interpersonal communion through an attitude of friendship and respect for truth, freedom, and religious pluralism. Proclamation guides people to recognize God’s saving grace then invites them to become disciples of Jesus and members of the Catholic Church.

Similar to mission, the basis for interreligious dialogue is both anthropological and theological. Humanity comprises one family in solidarity; it shares a common origin, the creator’s image, and a mutual destiny of blissful life in the presence of the Holy Trinity. Theologically, God initiates the dialogue of salvation, Jesus achieves it, and the Holy Spirit guides the Catholic Church’s evangelizing mission, which continues to proclaim it. Of its four forms, dialogue of life and action (formerly called works) occur at anthropological level while exchange and experience are theological (Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 1991, nos. 42–44). These diverse, interrelated dialogic forms possess a sensitivity to religious pluralism and social, cultural, and political differences, which successfully contributes to the Catholic Church’s evangelizing mission.

3.5. Dominus Iesus

Prior to becoming Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger seemed to support interreligious dialogue as part of the Catholic Church’s evangelizing mission. As Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he was instrumental in developing the 2000 document, Dominus Iesus, which reaffirms that “the Church’s proclamation of Jesus Christ, ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ (Jn 14:6), today also makes use of the practice of interreligious dialogue,” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 2000, no. 2). Yet, he questions if “the Church’s constant missionary proclamation is endangered by relativistic theories which seek to justify religious pluralism, not only de facto but also de iure (or in principle)” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 2000, no. 4). For Cardinal Ratzinger, relativism from various complementary, though occasionally contradictory, cultural or religious expressions of truth poses a considerable problem for the Catholic Church and its mission to proclaim the Christian meta-narrative of being the universal sacrament of salvation. Religious relativism “leads to the belief that ‘one religion is as good as another’ [yet if] followers of other religions can receive divine grace... they are in a gravely deficient situation in comparison with those who, in the Church, have the fullness of the means of salvation” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 2000, no. 22) mediated solely through Jesus Christ. Cardinal Ratzinger clarifies that “equality, which is a presupposition of interreligious dialogue, refers to the equal personal dignity of the parties in dialogue, not to doctrinal content” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 2000, no. 22, italics original), especially pertaining to the unique role of Jesus Christ in salvation history. Though other religions may cooperate with or mediate aspects of salvation, they “acquire meaning and value only from Christ’s own mediation” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 2000, no. 14). Dominus Iesus theologically and doctrinally reaffirms Jesus Christ’s significance in salvation and the Catholic Church’s evangelizing mission.

3.6. New Evangelization

In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI called a General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to formulate a new evangelization strategy for mission activity in the twenty-first century. Complex social and cultural changes at the start of the new millennium are “affecting a person’s perception of self and the world, and consequently, a person’s way of believing in God” (General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops 2012, no. 6). The situation requires novel tools, methods, and approaches that inspire expressions of faith and enthusiastic witness within the Catholic Church and throughout the world. Thus, new evangelization is a response to influences on society involving globalization and culture, social migration, economic inequities, civic life, scientific research and technology, communications, and religious pluralism. The Catholic Church must evaluate the changing sectors and discern their effects on how people experience the Christian faith. A method for comprehending the complexity of other traditions and their influence on society is interreligious dialogue, particularly amid the increasing global influence of religious pluralism and the growing phenomenon of religious disassociation. New evangelization is also an internal appeal for courage to revitalize the Catholic Church and permit the Holy Spirit to guide its spiritual and missionary vocation. Constant proclamation and witness of Christian faith is every Catholic person’s duty; it directs people toward the salvific experience of God’s unifying love, which evokes positive changes in them and throughout society.

3.7. Summary

Developing a practical basis for interreligious dialogue during the immediate post conciliar period created more questions regarding the Catholic Church’s understanding of mission and evangelization amid religious pluralism. Jacques Dupuis explored the idea that “religious pluralism leads to the concept of a true complementarity and convergence between Christianity and the religious traditions of the world” (Dupuis 2002, p. 62). Yet he qualified this relationship as a “mutually asymmetric complementarity [due to] the mystery of Jesus Christ and to the Christ-event” (Dupuis 2002, p. 64) in salvation history. For Paul Knitter, transformative convergence as collaboration and cooperation, occurs in the mission of interreligious dialogue (Knitter 1995, p. 30). John Cobb likewise posits a “mutual transformation [while Raimon Panikkar asserts that various religious traditions] ‘differ and must keep their distinct identity [because] faith cannot be bracketed to ease the dialogue’” (Dupuis 2002, p. 73), refer to (Cobb 1982; Panikkar 1999). Panikkar also differentiates between a universal Christ found in all religions and the particular Jesus of Christianity (Knitter 1995, pp. 152–57), whereas Gavin D’Costa attempts to reconcile the following two Catholic beliefs: “salvation is through Jesus Christ alone [and] God desires the salvation of all humankind” (D’Costa 1986, p. 4).

Pope John Paul II navigated between these different viewpoints by asserting that evangelization and interreligious dialogue are essential to mission while affirming that the Catholic Church is the ordinary means of salvation. He often exemplified this mission by evangelizing through interreligious dialogue with leaders from a variety of religious traditions to repair, establish, and strengthen interfaith relationships. In 1986, for example, the Pope met with the Dalai Lama and multiple religious leaders to promote unity and pray for peace. Peter Phan notes that John Paul II “showed a keen interest in local cultures and strongly urged their use to inculturate the Gospel” (Phan 2016, p. 236). John Paul II deeply respected various religious traditions by recognizing the Holy Spirit’s activity within cultural and religious pluralism. Observing the interactive influences between Polish culture and Catholicism, the Pope encouraged the same outcomes with African, Asian, and especially marginalized indigenous cultures in his words and deeds.

From John Paul II’s missionary actions and writings, Phan perceives the development of a relationship between culture, evangelization, and the mystery of the Incarnation. Yet, Phan interprets Pope Benedict XVI’s thoughts differently. While Pope Benedict XVI acknowledges that inculturation has occurred in Church history, he states that “there are elements in the evolution of the early Church which do not have to be integrated into all cultures” (Benedict XVI 2006). Thus, Phan claims that for Pope Benedict, “evangelization implies an intercultural encounter between the already inculturated Gospel and these [other] cultures” (Phan 2016, p. 236). Once again concerned with cultural pluralism and relativism, the Pope is agreeable to interculturality and dialogue between cultures and religions that does not necessarily alter the Gospel message.

4. Contemporary Papal Documents

Taking a more pragmatic than theological approach, Pope Francis views the Catholic Church’s mission and evangelization as a transformative means for being in solidarity with the vulnerable, poor, and marginalized members of society. Francis emphasizes ideas of relationality and integration through four principles: time is greater than space, realities are greater than ideas, unity is greater than conflict, and the whole is greater than the part (Francis 2015, nos. 141, 178, 198, and 201). He clarified his previous 2019 stance on religious pluralism at the September 2022 Declaration of VII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, by agreeing to statement number 10, which reads “that pluralism in terms of differences in skin color, gender, race, language and culture are expressions of the wisdom of God in creation. Religious diversity is permitted by God and, therefore, any coercion to a particular religion and religious doctrine is unacceptable” (Declaration of VII Congress 2022; for the 2019 statement, refer to (Francis 2019)). Hence, interreligious dialogue functions in mission and evangelization as an ethical, collaborative way to address fundamentalism, and to recognize religious pluralism by forming open, respectful relationships and by working together for the common good.

4.1. Evangelii Gaudium

Proclaiming the joy of the gospel message is at the heart of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. Francis redirects evangelization from a Christian duty to spread the Good News to an expression of authentic personal fulfillment. The source and inspiration for a new evangelization is sharing the Gospel message and experiencing God’s love and friendship with others, thus, engaging in mission activity through new and creative means (Francis 2013, nos. 33, 262, 365). Yet, evangelization’s primary goal remains reaching out to people who do not know or have rejected Jesus Christ; not by obligation or proselytizing but by invitation and attraction to the good news of salvation (Francis 2013, no. 15). The Catholic Church, as an evangelizing community, exemplifies the social dimension of the Gospel message when it interacts with others through words and deeds in the dialogue of daily life.

Evangelization and mission guide and support prospective converts in solidarity with the Christian community on their journey toward personal, spiritual encounters with Christ. For Catholics, “the Church evangelizes and is herself evangelized through the beauty of the liturgy, which is both a celebration of the task of evangelization and the source of her renewed self-giving” (Francis 2013, no. 24) and internal conversion. Renewal also occurs from local parish missionary outreach activities and interreligious dialogue focused on various global challenges, such as altering social structures to benefit the world’s poor and marginalized people.

The Catholic Church recognizes the importance of culture and existing religious or secular values. Hence, evangelization seeks novel ways to dialogue with various religions and to inculturate the Gospel, making it easier to comprehend the message, to encounter God, and hopefully to accept God’s invitation to faith. Amid the growing influence of religious pluralism and cultural diversity, interreligious dialogue remains an essential means for effective evangelization. Interreligious dialogue utilizes words and actions to communicate the joy of God’s love and divine truth to members of religious traditions, as well as agnostics and atheists. This direct, personal Christian witness demonstrates “the essential bond between dialogue and proclamation, which leads the Church to maintain and intensify her relationship with non-Christians” (Francis 2013, no. 251). Combined with proclamation, “evangelization and interreligious dialogue, far from being opposed, mutually support and nourish one another” (Francis 2013, no. 251). According to Pope Francis, “Non-Christians, by God’s gracious initiative, when they are faithful to their own consciences, can live ‘justified by the grace of God’ and thus be ‘associated to the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ’” (Francis 2013, no. 254). Francis’ statement seems to imply that other religious traditions “can be channels which the Holy Spirit raises up” (Francis 2013, no. 254) and utilizes to achieve salvation and impart diverse forms of practical wisdom to improve and transform society. Even though genuine dialogic participants are open to learning and benefiting from an enriching exchange of each other’s wisdom and heritage, they also must retain their identity, be resolute in their convictions, and avoid simplistic syncretism.

4.2. Laudato Sí

Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Sí, extends his missionary renewal message from Evangelii Gaudium by inviting all people into dialogue about the existential, ecological threats confronting the planet and its inhabitants. Similar to other social issues, the climate situation represents a complex challenge with multiple causes, therefore, “solutions will not emerge from just one way of interpreting and transforming reality” (Francis 2015, no. 63). Genuine discourse leading to theological, philosophical, scientific, political, economic, and social collaboration generates comprehensive responses to numerous social issues. Francis admonishes selfish, individualistic behaviors that promote greed and reflect an emptiness that drives obsessive consumerism, in which “a genuine sense of the common good also disappears [and] as these attitudes become more widespread, social norms are respected only to the extent that they do not clash with personal needs” (Francis 2015, no. 204). Instead, Francis favors dialogic and communal acts to foster compassionate justice for society’s most vulnerable members and to benefit creation as well as global humanity. Hence, a holistic social justice solution requires an all-inclusive mission; it must respond to “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (Francis 2015, nos. 18, 49). Through dialogue and diapraxis, Francis introduces the concept of an integral ecology to address concerns about the environment, the common good, and the social injustices that inhibit human flourishing and lasting peace.

Laudato Sí describes evangelization in action. Although its primary focus involves the climate crisis, the encyclical proposes an integrated approach; a solution that protects the planet while at the same time addressing the associated social issues of alleviating poverty and enhancing human dignity. Francis’ notion of integral ecology asserts that “everything is interconnected … different aspects of the planet—physical, chemical and biological—are interrelated, so too living species are part of a network which we will never fully explore and understand” (Francis 2015, no. 138). A relationship with the environment thus extends to include social and dialogic encounters with others and with the transcendent. From these encounters, people from diverse religions and cultures experience feelings of interconnection and interrelation that leads to an “‘ecological conversion,’ whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them” (Francis 2015, no. 217). An ecological conversion then generates a personal conversion, a change of heart, which causes people to reconcile wrongs toward each other and the world. Because “social problems must be addressed by community networks and not simply by the sum of individual good deeds… lasting change is also a community conversion” (Francis 2015, no. 219). Real societal transformation occurs when respectful, collaborative discussion among a plurality of religions and sciences prevents absolutism or ideological conflicts from controlling the agenda or stifling creative ideas. Consequently, a vocation or mission to protect all of God’s creation becomes a vital part of the Christian evangelizing mission.

4.3. Fratelli Tutti

Within the encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis once again invites all people of good will to participate in dialogue with human fraternity and social friendship as its goals. He recognizes that dialogue, amid societal and religious pluralism, is an essential component of the Catholic Church’s mission. Through interreligious encounters, participants discern shared values in order to formulate a common social ethics using “clear thinking, rational arguments, a variety of perspectives, and the contribution of different fields of knowledge and points of view” (Francis 2020, no. 211). Interreligious dialogue likewise counteracts a waning sense of global solidarity caused by increasing disillusionment, indifference, and cynicism in society (Francis 2020, no. 30). For Francis, solidarity is essential as “a moral virtue and social attitude born of personal conversion [that] calls for commitment on the part of those responsible for … a primary and vital mission of education” (Francis 2020, no. 114). Together, the evangelizing effects of education and religious formation transform and enrich society.

Interreligious dialogue is a form of instruction that enables sharing diverse religious, ethical, and spiritual experiences. Pope Francis values and encourages “reflections born of religious traditions that are the repository of centuries of experience and wisdom. For ‘religious classics can prove meaningful in every age; they have an enduring power [to open new horizons, to stimulate thought, to expand the mind and the heart]’” (Francis 2020, no. 275, brackets original). Moreover, interreligious dialogue informs and enhances existing views of reality, which ultimately benefits the common good since “each of us can learn something from others. No one is useless and no one is expendable” (Francis 2020, no. 215), especially society’s poor, marginalized members. By expressing religious pluralism through dialogue, “each particular group becomes part of the fabric of universal communion and there discovers its own beauty” (Francis 2020, no. 149) as well as others’ unique contributions. Such interrelatedness develops a deeper understanding and sense of mutual belonging in solidarity with the human family.

Different religious perspectives occasionally create tension in society. To help resolve conflict, the Catholic Church “does not restrict her mission to the private sphere. On the contrary, ‘she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines’ in the building of a better world, or fail to ‘reawaken the spiritual energy’ that can contribute to the betterment of society” (Francis 2020, no. 276). The Catholic Church’s evangelizing mission is “open to bearing witness in today’s world, open to faith hope and love for the Lord and for those [the poor] whom he loves with a preferential love” (Francis 2020, no. 276). Open, honest negotiation using interreligious dialogue helps settle conflict, inspire reconciliation, and establish peace that promotes human progress. Authentic interreligious dialogue initiates “processes of encounter, processes that build a people that can accept differences” (Francis 2020, no. 217, italics original) and then develop mutually beneficial relationships leading to social action. Francis suggests a “social covenant [designed] to recognize other people’s right to be themselves and to be different… [leading to] a ‘cultural covenant,’ one that respects and acknowledges the different worldviews, cultures and lifestyles that coexist in society” (Francis 2020, nos. 218–219). The evangelizing activities of a covenant based on friendship and respect for cultural and religious pluralism, builds fraternity, enhances justice, and transforms society.

4.4. Summary

Pope Francis recognizes several challenges associated with religious pluralism and encourages interreligious cooperation to develop and implement holistic solutions, which reduce the negative effects of consumerism and indifference while promoting humanity’s dignity and well-being. Complex economic and social injustice necessitates interreligious cooperation and “greater interdisciplinary communication. Although reality is one, it can be approached from angles and with different methodologies” (Francis 2020, nos. 62, 204) involving faith and reason. Catholic participants contribute ethical principles and Gospel visions about the promised Kingdom of God as part of the Catholic Church’s evangelizing mission. Other religious traditions discuss their tenets and offer solutions related to social issues, which generates multiple ideas and novel responses. Many religious traditions share moral beliefs that all life is sacred and interconnected. Hence, a concern for other people fosters a social ethics, expressed through ideas of the common good, solidarity, along with compassionate care for each other, especially the less fortunate members of society. Through interreligious dialogue, religious traditions develop comprehensive, multigenerational strategies that promote the common good in solidarity with society’s poor and defenseless people who claim special consideration and protection of their rights because the basic moral test of a society is how it treats its poor and vulnerable (Francis 2015, nos. 18, 49). Religious pluralism therefore transforms society through interreligious dialogue and new forms of evangelization that seek justice through cooperative multifaith initiatives.

For Francis, the four methods of interreligious dialogue defined in the document, Dialogue and Proclamation, are an effective framework for exemplifying an evangelization of solidarity and religious plurality. As part of the dialogue of daily life, interreligious organizations encourage local communities to direct their lived experiences and outreach activities toward resolving social injustice through innovative grassroots and social media campaigns. These shared activities manifest diapraxis at local, national, and international levels and demonstrate a new evangelization through interreligious collaboration. During the dialogue of theological exchange, representative experts from diverse religious faiths reference insights from a variety of religious teachers and spiritual sages to share wisdom and clarify their religious tenets.

A dialogue of mutual religious experience engages people from within their unique traditions to share faith, prayer, contemplation, and spiritual practices during a common search for ultimate reality. Joint experiences encourage cooperation and collaboration; they focus participants’ collective religious, moral, and ethical responsibilities toward eradicating poverty and social injustice. Employing various dialogues of life, theological exchange, and religious experience inspires a dialogue of action that encourages groups who support religious pluralism to work together, acting as one, to solve challenges and conflict. These encounters shift dialogue toward diapraxis, forming a caring community of diverse faiths, acting in unison, to accomplish specific goals of concern that transform society. The Catholic Church’s mission unfolds as mutual action, a form of evangelization to demonstrate Christ’s salvation in the world. Although religious conversion to (or from) Catholicism may occur, it is not the specific purpose of interreligious dialogue.

5. Conclusions

An increasing awareness and acceptance of religious pluralism transforms Catholic Church notions of proclamation, evangelization, and interreligious dialogue related to mission activity. All three components are essential, distinct, complementary functions that contribute to the Catholic Church’s mission activity. Proclamation communicates Catholic tenets about salvation while evangelization encourages conversion by directing hearts and minds toward the good news Jesus Christ offers. However, both functions now employ more sensitive dialogic methods that acknowledge religious pluralism, support personal freedom, and enhance human dignity.

Though interreligious dialogue seems to contradict the Catholic Church’s mission of conversion, discourse facilitates implicit and sometimes explicit bidirectional theological proclamation when sharing religious truths. As a result of trusting respectful relationships that establish a pluralistic community, discussing ethical values and actively listening to accounts of mystical experiences provide opportunities for mutual evangelization and witness. A sense of solidarity becomes a novel form of mission and evangelization, not necessarily in the strict sense of conversion but through the capability to empathize with others’ feelings and appreciate diverse spiritual events that complement and enhance each participant’s religious knowledge and experiences.

Authentic interreligious dialogue values and respects religious pluralism, especially when seeking holistic solutions to ecological, political, economic, or social issues. Dialogic exchanges develop interreligious solidarity that builds lasting relationships and fosters teamwork on practical social issues. A pluralistic consensus inspires as well as evangelizes participants to act in solidarity for the global common good. Compassionate encounters during dialogue and diapraxis actively witness and exemplify the Christian message of salvation in practice. Consequently, by utilizing the evangelization of solidarity and the dialogic environment of interreligious empathy, religious pluralism transforms society.