Rome, August 6, 2005

To Brothers Chrys McVey and Wojciech Giertych
and the Sisters and Brothers
participating in the Journées Romaines Dominicaines

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Although I will be absent from Rome during your meeting, I take the opportunity now when I am here, to greet all of you, participants, presenters and translators, in this year’s Journées Romaines Dominicaines.

Many of you will have attended one or more of the previous meetings and are thus convinced of the need for dialogue between Muslim and Christian believers. Indeed, it is largely because of your involvement in the World of Islam that dialogue has become one of the primary concerns of the Order.

This has been so from the earliest days of the Order and, even if the emphasis then might have been more apologetic, what remains the same is the passion for and commitment to those others ‘who see a different face of God.’

The recent General Chapter of the Brothers, held in Krakow, commended the work that many of you are already doing in this area. The capitulars noted ‘that recent world events and the prejudice arising from the association in many people’s minds of terrorism with particular religious groups mean that interreligious dialogue can no longer be seen as an optional extra to our mission…’ (Kra 79). The Chapter recommends that this be stressed even in the years of early formation, mentioning especially, ‘the importance of the preparation of the brethren for a more explicitly global ministry…, a willingness to dialogue with those of other faiths or none’ (Kra 269) and an Ordination from previous Chapters that has now become a Constitution urges brothers to be ready and open to meetings and every opportunity for true dialogue (Kra 357; LCO 111).

Never has dialogue, the need to listen and to embrace the other in his or her difference, been so urgent. Ours is a world that is in danger of losing all nuance, where nothing is seen any more in analogous terms, but rather judged as belonging to ‘us’ or ‘them.’ The effect of such an attitude leads to exclusion and to war.

Our task is, instead, one of including and befriending. Our task is one of challenging those who would divide our world into opposing camps.  And the results of our embracing what is different, in both the joy and the pain of dialogue, will be the peace we all long for.

I look forward to hearing about your meeting and pray for its success.

Fraternally in St Dominic,

Carlos A Azpiroz Costa OP

Master of the Order