The Pontifical Council for Inter-religious dialogue: a fifty years journey

On May 19 this year, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCDI) created by Pope Paul 6th in 1964 as the "Secretariat for non- Christians", celebrated the 50th anniversary of its foundation.

Shinmeizan was present at the anniversary celebration with sr. Maria De Giorgi, both at the Eucharist presided by Card. Jean Louis Tauran in the morning, in St. Peter, and at the commemoration held in the afternoon, the center of which were the conferences of Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, Secretary of the PCDI, and of Fr. Damian Howard, sj. The official Review of the PCDI (“Bulletin” at first and, later, Pro Dialogo) gives us rich information about the vast, varied, important activities of the PCDI. 

Shinmeizan has always received a special attention on the part of the PCDI, and is very grateful for it. Two of its members (Fr. Pietro Sonoda, OFMConv. and Fr. Franco Sottocornola, sx) have been chosen to be Consultors to the PCDI. In 1986, Bishop Peter Rossano, Secretary of the then Secretariat for non Christians, was invited by Fr. Franco to Japan to hold conferences, together with Ven. Furukawa Tairyu, head of the Buddhist Temple Seimeizan-Schweitzer, on inter-religious dialogue. Since then he accompanied Shinmeizan with his precious friendship and advice.

Collaboration of Shinmeizan with the PCDI increased with the leadership of Card. Arinze, President, and Archbp. Michael Fitzgerald, first Secretary and then President, and Archbp. Felix Machado (now Bishop of Vasai, India) Undersecretary. This collaboration had its most important moments in the participation by members of Shinmeizan in the four international study meetings on dialogue between Christians and Buddhists as well as in the ecumenical study meetings on "inter-religious prayer" and in the Plenary Assembly held on the occasion of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, organized by PCDI.

Shinmeizan has worked for the PCDI also in cooperation with the Subcommittee on Interreligious Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, for example in preparing for the inter-religious encounter held in Assisi in 2011, as wished by Pope Benedict 16, on the 25th anniversary of the first of such meetings, called by Saint John Paul II in 1986.

Shinmeizan has also had the honour of receiving several visits from Archbp. Michael Fitzgerald, then Secretary, and Archbp. Machado, at the time Undersecretary, of the PCDI.

This year, and precisely on August 1-9, Sr. Maria De Giorgi, of Shinmeizan, has been asked by the Subcommittee for Interreligious Dialog of the Bishops' Conference of Japan (of which she is a Consultor) to accompany Very Rev. Indunil Kodithuwakku, Undersecretary of the PCDI, in his official visit to Japan, and to act as an interpreter for him.

After taking part, in Tokyo, in the 50th anniversary's celebration of the inauguration of the "Great Sacred Hall" of the lay Buddhist association Risshokoseikai, Sr. Maria accompanied Rev. Fr. Kodithuwakku also in his visit to the headquarters of the National Association of Shinto Shrines, and to the national headquarters of "Religions for Peace" (WCRP). On the following day, August 2, Sr. Maria accompanied Fr. Kodithuwakku to Kyoto, where he represented the PCDI at the annual "Interreligious Summit" held at Hieizan, the headquarters of Tendai Buddhism, on August 4, and visited the headquarters of Tenrikyo, the most ancient among the "new religions" of Japan. On August 6 in Hiroshima, and on August 9 in Nagasaki, Fr. Kodithuwakku, accompanied by Sr. Maria, took part in the various inter-religious events which every year mark the anniversaries of the tragic atomic events of 1945.

On his way from Hiroshima to Nagasaki, also Fr. Kodithuwakku, following on the footsteps of his illustrious predecessors, Archbp. Fitzgerald and Archbp. Machado, kindly honoured Shinmeizan with his visit, staying with us on August 6-7, strengthening our bonds with the PCDI.