Pastoral - Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue
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Chairman
Rev Fr Jeremy Howard Chaplain
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TH Tel: 0121 472 131
E-mail: jeremy.howard@uhb.nhs.uk |
Secretary
Mr William Ozanne 3 Grove Avenue Birmingham B13 9RU To read the latest Newsletter from the Archdiocesan Network for Inter Religious Dialogue... Click here
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Members of the Diocesan Commission:
Mr. B. Davies, Mgr. Dr. T. Fallon, Rev. Ray Collier, Rev. D. Howard, Rev. J.Howard, Sister Maura Lyden, Sister Anna O'Connor, Mr. W. Ozanne, Rev. S. Pimlott, Sister Helen Ryan, Dr. J. Seferta, Rev. P. Udoma.
Mission Statement:
Vision and Mission
Inspired by the Biblical vision of "gathering into one the scattered children of God" (Jn 11:52), our Church teaching on relations with other religions and our own faith experience, the Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue aims to promote throughout the diocese a greater awareness and understanding of other faiths, through dialogue, prayer and action.
Mr. B. Davies, Mgr. Dr. T. Fallon, Rev. Ray Collier, Rev. D. Howard, Rev. J.Howard, Sister Maura Lyden, Sister Anna O'Connor, Mr. W. Ozanne, Rev. S. Pimlott, Sister Helen Ryan, Dr. J. Seferta, Rev. P. Udoma.
Mission Statement:
Vision and Mission
Inspired by the Biblical vision of "gathering into one the scattered children of God" (Jn 11:52), our Church teaching on relations with other religions and our own faith experience, the Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue aims to promote throughout the diocese a greater awareness and understanding of other faiths, through dialogue, prayer and action.
In particular the commission seeks:
to raise the profile of interfaith dialogue and understanding in the diocese as an integral part of our own evangelising mission and spirituality;
to maintain a balance between the four interdependent forms of dialogue:
1. the dialogue of faith;
2. the dialogue of life;
3. the dialogue of action;
4. the dialogue of religious experience.
(Cf. Dialogue & Proclamation 42-43)
to ensure that we remain true to Catholic teaching in the way our faith is presented in interfaith dialogue and to seek reciprocity;
to provide training and workshops about dialogue and understanding for both clergy and lay-people;
to network & communicate with all Catholics in the diocese who identify with our vision and aims;
to identify and make available resources for interfaith dialogue, prayer and action;
to make contact with key leaders of other Faith Communities in the diocese and encourage people to do the same at local level with a view to dialogue;
to keep abreast of communications from relevant sources (Rome, the Committee for Other Faiths of CBCEW, Interfaith Co-ordinators of other dioceses, CTBI, the National Inter Faith Network, West Midlands Faith Forum etc);
to collaborate with organisations and diocesan programmes that might share common ground with us (e.g. Justice & Peace and Catechetics);
to keep the Archbishop advised on interfaith matters.
Values
Love & Respect - recognising every person as a beloved child of God in whom God's Spirit dwells. (Cf. Dominum et Vivificantem)
Freedom - based on the dignity of the human person. "Everyone has the right to the free exercise of religion in society" (Dignitatis Humanae 1&2; Pacem in Terris 14; c.f. UN Declaration of Human Rights).
Unity - "considering what people have in common and what draws them to fellowship. One is the community of all peoples, one their origin... One also is their final goal, God." (NA 1).
Truthfulness - understanding that "the Church rejects nothing that is true and holy" (NA 1).
Justice & Peace - aware of the injustices that have been done in the name of religion yet also aware that we are "called to live in peace with all men" (Rom 12:18).
Honesty & Forgiveness - forgiveness given for past offences against us, just as we ask for forgiveness from other religions for Christian offences against them.
Hope - that with God's help his scattered children will be gathered into one human family (Cf. Jn 11:52), so providing the dynamic for pursuing our mission.
to raise the profile of interfaith dialogue and understanding in the diocese as an integral part of our own evangelising mission and spirituality;
to maintain a balance between the four interdependent forms of dialogue:
1. the dialogue of faith;
2. the dialogue of life;
3. the dialogue of action;
4. the dialogue of religious experience.
(Cf. Dialogue & Proclamation 42-43)
to ensure that we remain true to Catholic teaching in the way our faith is presented in interfaith dialogue and to seek reciprocity;
to provide training and workshops about dialogue and understanding for both clergy and lay-people;
to network & communicate with all Catholics in the diocese who identify with our vision and aims;
to identify and make available resources for interfaith dialogue, prayer and action;
to make contact with key leaders of other Faith Communities in the diocese and encourage people to do the same at local level with a view to dialogue;
to keep abreast of communications from relevant sources (Rome, the Committee for Other Faiths of CBCEW, Interfaith Co-ordinators of other dioceses, CTBI, the National Inter Faith Network, West Midlands Faith Forum etc);
to collaborate with organisations and diocesan programmes that might share common ground with us (e.g. Justice & Peace and Catechetics);
to keep the Archbishop advised on interfaith matters.
Values
Love & Respect - recognising every person as a beloved child of God in whom God's Spirit dwells. (Cf. Dominum et Vivificantem)
Freedom - based on the dignity of the human person. "Everyone has the right to the free exercise of religion in society" (Dignitatis Humanae 1&2; Pacem in Terris 14; c.f. UN Declaration of Human Rights).
Unity - "considering what people have in common and what draws them to fellowship. One is the community of all peoples, one their origin... One also is their final goal, God." (NA 1).
Truthfulness - understanding that "the Church rejects nothing that is true and holy" (NA 1).
Justice & Peace - aware of the injustices that have been done in the name of religion yet also aware that we are "called to live in peace with all men" (Rom 12:18).
Honesty & Forgiveness - forgiveness given for past offences against us, just as we ask for forgiveness from other religions for Christian offences against them.
Hope - that with God's help his scattered children will be gathered into one human family (Cf. Jn 11:52), so providing the dynamic for pursuing our mission.
For Inter Religious Web Links, go to the LINKS page.
Inter Faith Groups in the Diocese with Catholic Representatives:
Banbury Inter Faith info@barec.co.uk
Birmingham Council of Faiths Birmingham_council_of_faiths@hotmail.com
Birmingham Faith Leaders' Group classicjon@hotmail.com
Burton upon Trent Inter Faith Network sgbill@btopenworld.com
Coventry Inter-Faith Group
Coventry Multi-Faith Forum supriyo@samukh.plus.com
Dudley Borough Interfaith Network interfaith@dudleycvs.org.uk
Moseley Inter Faith Group administrator@moseleycdt.com
North Staffordshire Forum of Faiths 1945kp@talktalk.net
Nuneaton
Oxford Round Table of Religions peter_riddell@ntlworld.com
Perry Barr Multi-Faith Network joy.hazell@birmingham.gov.uk
Rugby Inter Faith Forum briandavies4@tiscali.co.uk
Sandwell Multi-Faith Network sandwellmultifaith@yahoo.co.uk
Solihull Faiths Forum ntromans@solihull.gov.uk
Solihull Inter Faith Dialogue Group issam_ghannam@yahoo.co.uk
Sparkbrook Muslim-Christian Dialogue Group
Stafford and District Friends of Faith Network h.h.iqbal@staffs.ac.uk
Stratford upon Avon
Telford and Wrekin Interfaith Group (TWIG) bcrawforth@btinternet.com
Walsall Multifaith Forum secretary.wmff@tiscali.co.uk
Warwick District Faiths Forum wdfaithsforum@yahooo.com
Wolverhampton Faith and Regeneration Network info@faithregeneration.org
Wolverhampton Inter Faith Council admin@wifc.org.uk
Worcestershire Inter-Faith Forum msb@waitrose.com
Council of Christians and Jews Branches in the region
Birmingham ccj.bham@yahoo.co.uk