Week 4: Interfaith Dialogue: A Lesson in Humility

July 12, 2026  

How do I effectively begin dialogue with people of other faiths?

Back in Canada

     Well, I have just returned from Rome, and I keep thinking about the food and the lessons learned.  Ironically, my last meal in Rome was an authentic minestrone soup, made with many visible seasonal ingredients sourced locally from the region.  You can see that the ingredients come together beautifully so that the sum is far greater than the parts.  Ecumenism is quite similar.  We have many different Christian traditions, sacraments, and history that come together for intrafaith dialogue.  Each maintains its authentic interpretation of revelation while respectfully participating in deep conversations about the faith we share in God.  

     After a nine-and-a-half-hour flight to Canada, the six-hour time difference made my body feel like it was midnight.  I just wanted to go to bed, but my husband made me my favourite lentil soup that would be gentle on my stomach, like a joyous return to my high-fibre diet in Canada.  I sat and looked at the soup.  It had many of the same ingredients as my minestrone soup the night before, but it was blended.  Such uniformity prevented me from seeing the richness of the individual vegetables in the puree.  It had me thinking about the lessons I learned about interreligious dialogue at the Centro Pro Unione these past three weeks. By the way, I learned on my last evening in Rome that if you want vegetables with your meal, you have to order them separately.  I just thought I needed to pay greater attention to the simple conversations in life too.  I have so much to learn from others who are trying to share their gift of knowledge with me!

Italian minestrone soup (left) was my last meal in Rome.  At home, I enjoyed homemade lentil soup (right).  It’s my favourite comfort food from home.  Soup can be a lesson in ecumenism.  We have so much in common with others.  The blend may be different, but the foundation led by the Spirit is the same.  Both soups traditionally begin with carrots, celery and onion, but convert to their own identity. Healthy dialogue requires this same diversity.

Together as a faith community, our Toronto group joined the Connecticut group at Ristorante Pizzeria Bueno Forchetta, down the hill from Casa Tra Noi, our hotel for the past three weeks.  We met for class each day at Centro Pro Unione, but it was the meals we shared that created our respectful dialogue about our faith.

  Unity vs. Uniformity

     Ecumenism is not uniformity; it is individuals maintaining their own faith identity, but participating in dialogue and projects together for the common good. It takes place over time, and slower simmers through ongoing conversations may come to a boil, only to be turned down until the temperature is just right to eat.  This happens when we live out the gospel, reconcile our past differences, participate in community projects together, strengthening our individual identity, while continuously asking questions to help us understand our neighbours’ identity.  This is ecumenism of the stomach at its best.  Although I was exhausted, I wanted to recall the lessons learned as I winded down into my normal routines at home.

We are visiting The Great Mosque of Rome.  It is the largest mosque in Europe. The colours and symbols are very calm and light to create a quiet, meditative space for Islamic prayer.  In fraternity with the Islamic community, we dressed modestly, and the women wore a headscarf out of respect for the sacred space. There are simple geometric shapes, such as circles, throughout the mosque to show unity.  The Imam shared that the Arabic calligraphy along the base of the ceiling is important sacred writing from Islamic tradition.  

“For us, the wellspring of human dignity and fraternity is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. From it, there arises ‘for Christian thought and for the action of the Church, the primacy given to relationship, to the embroidery with the sacred mystery  of the other, to universal communion with the entire human family, as a vocation of all.”            Pope Francis

              Fratelli tutti, Par. 277

While visiting the Great Mosque of Rome, I wore the hijab as it is a respectful Islamic practice to dress modestly and respectfully. I had to cover my hair, ears and neck.  I wish I had chosen a cotton scarf instead of a silk scarf, as it kept slipping in the heat, even though I pinned the headscarf in place.  

Comfort in Discomfort

     Following our visit to the mosque, our final classes in Rome focused on the different types of dialogue we participate in, while discussing historical biases with the Muslim community addressed in Nostra Aetate, supporting our fraternity, following Vatican II.  I learned that dialogue is not light conversation, but rather intentional, respectful discussions that focus on comparing our faiths. I know the limits of my understandings and cultural biases of other faith traditions. It can make you vulnerable and uncomfortable when you are in another’s faith setting. Participating in the Dialogue of Life was a joy for me, as I saw the truth of the Gospel during our communal excursions and meals together. Talking to others in our interfaith group at the Centro Pro Unione surprised me at first, but then it all made sense!  Our diversity promoted mutual faith understandings, not only my own, but the perspective of others. Our dialogue created a shared journey or learning project that made us feel like a family. Finding commonality creates a foundation to begin dialogue. Such koinonia must be ongoing-not one and done events. I would like to do this more in my own community.  Understandingly, our community projects have decreased since COVID-19. Too often these activities are just tasks on a corporate check list.  We need more shared projects to create interfaith community bonds.  For our dialogue to be impactful, it must be continuous, without interruption. It can eventually lead to theological exchange, where we respectfully and humbly compare our virtues and doctrines once trust is established. It’s important to see the gift the other person is offering us. It helps us know ourselves more clearly, when we compare our values and beliefs with others.  I felt this internal conversion within me while in Rome. There were so many epiphanies, often in the middle of the night, like a whisper from God inviting me to reflect on my learning more deeply.  What a gift to focus on my faith in Rome!

A Positive Mindset: Healing Past Traumas Together

     Lastly, it’s important to focus on the things we have in common, rather than our differences, during these challenging conversations. The Road to Rome provided unity and strength to the Roman Empire.  It was something they shared.  However, our past can often lead to further division, so we must remain supportive of one another by creating a safe space to share our faith. The aqueducts on the Appian Way provided water to Ancient Rome, but without respectful dialogue, Rome fell, when the aqueducts were destroyed.  The grace of God, led by the Spirit, can help us to be patient, not coercive, during challenging ecumenical dialogue.  I reflected on the forced conversions of the eternal city, when the Romans told early Christians to worship false gods. I learned about the history along the Appian Way and the Colosseum. This has taught me to listen with discernment before I speak to be understood.  I cannot change the past, but I can prepare for a future of healing and Reconcilation. Sharing our spiritual practices, rituals, and prayers can be difficult, even within our Christian communities, but we always have to keep our hearts open so we maintain a positive and loving attitude. It’s all about having an attitude of humility. Together, we can achieve Christ’s goal of church unity. 

                 

I visited Aqueduct Park, along the Appian Way. This is a reminder that over two thousand years ago, Romans of all faiths worked together to bring fresh water from a single spring in the mountains to the people of Rome.  Much dialogue was forced and coercive, but together, they built the aqueducts that brought life-giving water to the entire Roman Empire.  It’s a symbol of what is possible when we work together for the common good of the People of God. We need to listen and speak with discernment when we accompany others on their journey of faith and healing. 

"But whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”   John 4:14

              

 Our “Catholic Perspectives on Ecumenical and Interreligious Movements” class at Centro Pro Unione, Rome, July, 2026.

Bibliography

Catholic Church. "Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions—Nostra  aetate." October 28, 1965. Vatican Website.

 

Francis, Pope. Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship. Encyclical Letter. Vatican City: The Holy See, October 3, 2020.