In Our Time: Interreligious Relations in a Divided World

A two-day conference to mark the 40th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s “Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions”

March 16 and 17, 2006

On October 28, 1965, the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church issued a revolutionary “Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions,” better known by its Latin title, Nostra Aetate (“In Our Time”). While Nostra Aetate revolutionized the Catholic Church’s understanding of Jews and Judaism, overturning a centuries-long history of Christian theological denigration, it also offered a positive regard of and a new direction to the Catholic Church’s understanding of Islam and other religions. Additionally, it influenced similar initiatives in other Christian churches.

Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald was born in Walsall, England, in the West Midlands. He trained in Tunisia in the seminary of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Africa, and is one of the Catholic Church’s foremost experts in Islam.

He has a doctorate in theology from Rome’s Gregorian University, a degree in Arabic from London University and taught at the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Rome, of which he was the director for many years.

He was appointed secretary of the Pontifical Council for interreligious Dialogue in 1987 and became its president in 2002. In Feb. 2006, he was appointed apostolic nuncio to Egypt and the Holy See's delegate to the League of Arab States.

In a celebration of interreligious collaboration, Brandeis University and Boston College, through its Center for Christian-Jewish Learning, co-sponsored a two-day conference to mark the 40th anniversary of Nostra Aetate and explore the nature of interreligious dialogue. The conference provided an exceptional opportunity to explore these topics with a distinguished group of speakers and panelists representing different faiths and traditions. Click HERE for program details.

The keynote speaker, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, just completed almost twenty years of service as secretary and then president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. As a highly regarded specialist in Islam, his expertise lent a global perspective to the discussion of Islam and other world religions.

Archbishop Fitzgerald delivered two major addresses at the conference. The first, "What the Catholic Church Has Learnt from Interreligious Dialogue" was given at Brandeis University to kick off the conference on March 16, 2006. Later that evening at Boston College, he delivered a public lecture, entitled "The Promise of Interreligious Dialogue for a World in Conflict."

In addition to Archbishop Fitzgerald, the conference was also honored by the contributions of other notable guests, including:

Dr. David Elcott U.S. Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee
Dr. Abdul Rashied Omar Coordinator of the Kroc Institute’s Research Initiative on the Resolution of Ethnic Conflict and the Program on Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding; University of Notre Dame
Dr. Shanta Premawardhana Associate General Secretary for Interfaith Relations; National Council of Churches, United States
Dr. Hans Ucko Program Secretary, Office on Interreligious Relations and Dialogue; World Council of Churches

Many local scholars and religious leaders also participated in the conference panels and exchanges, including:

Mr. Thomas Cattoi, doctoral student, Department of Theology, Boston College
Rev. Dr. Francis X. Clooney, S.J., Parkman Professor of Divinity and professor of comparative theology at Harvard Divinity School
Dr. Catherine M. Cornille, associate professor, Department of Theology, Boston College
Dr. Philip A. Cunningham, Executive Director, Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College
Dr. Imam Talal Y. Eid, Founder and Director of Religious Affairs, Islamic Institute of Boston, Muslim Chaplain, Brandeis University
Rev. Dr. Carol Flett, Adjunct Associate Director, Massachusetts Council of Churches
Dr. Edward Kaplan, Chair, Interdepartmental Program in Religious Studies; Kevy and Hortense Kaiserman Professor in the Humanities, Brandeis University
Rev. Dr. Diane C. Kessler, Executive Director, Massachusetts Council of Churches
Dr. Jytte Klausen, Associate Professor of Comparative Politics, Brandeis University
Mr. Christian Krokus, doctoral student, Department of Theology, Boston College
Mr. Bagus Laksana, doctoral student, Department of Theology, Boston College
Dr. Ruth Langer, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, Department of Theology; Associate Director, Center for Christian-Jewish Learning, Boston College
Rev. David Michael, Associate Director, Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Archdiocese of Boston
Dr. Daniel Terris, Director, International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, Brandeis University
Rev. Dr. Francis Tiso, Associate Director, Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Ms. Celia Sirois, Co-director, New Directions for Catholic-Jewish Dialogue

P. Cunningham, C. Sirois, D. Michael, M. Fitzgerald, C. Fleet, C. Cornille, D. Elcott, F. Tiso, B. Laksana, S. Premarwardhana, D. Kessler, T. Cattoi, C. Krokus, F. Clooney

For further information about the conference see:

From Brandeis University news: "For God will be all in all"
From The Pilot: "Conference Marks 40th Anniversary of 'Nostra Aetate'"
From The Heights, "Event Pays Tribute to Vatican II"
From Catholic News Service, "Vatican representative says interreligious dialogue brings respect"

The Center for Christian-Jewish Learning would like to offer special thanks to Dr. John Hose, Executive Assistant to the President and Associate Vice President for University Affairs at Brandeis University and Fr. David Michael, Associate Director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Archdiocese of Boston for all their work and collaboration.