In The News

CANTERBURY, England, JULY 23, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, gave at the Lambeth conference of the Anglican Communion. The meeting is under way through Aug. 4 in Canterbury.

As for inter-religious dialogue, we are all aware that the Holy Spirit works also outside the visible confines of the Churches, and that there exist in other religious and cultural traditions elements which are true, good and holy. We should not reject them, but rather regard with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones we hold and set forth as Christians, nonetheless are seeds of the Word and often reflect a ray of the Truth which enlightens all human beings.

And, finally, a dialogue of experiences would lead both Christians and their non-Christian partners to learn about each other's spiritual practices and mystical encounters.

Among the many points of the Christian creed, which the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church share together, is their love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, as has been spelt out in the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission's (ARCIC II) 2005 Seattle Statement: "Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ".

As, in God's Providence, the Blessed Virgin Mary had the unique privilege of giving the Savior to all humankind, her assistance would be indispensable to evangelizers who seek to continue her mission of giving Christ to the world. She is the Star of the New Evangelization. Besides being a subject of religious piety, she can be called upon to teach Christians how to be truly Spirit-filled and Spirit-led by imitating her singular virtues of Fiat, Magnificat and Stabat: Fiat, saying "yes" always to God's plan for us; Magnificat, praising God for His many mercies to the human family; and Stabat, living our Christian commitment with courage, coherence and perseverance till the very end. These three virtues can be powerful incentives to genuine Christian living and strong antidotes against whatever opposes it. And since Mary, the most blessed of all women, is profoundly revered even by persons of other faiths, she must be considered an important point of reference for inter-religious dialogue as well.

The role of shepherds which Bishops are called to play in the Church requires that they continuously discern whether their pastoral endeavors are inspired by God, or motivated by human criteria, or prompted by the Evil one. In this the Blessed Virgin Mary should be their model, guide and intercessor, to teach them to have "the mind of Christ" (Phil 2:5), to discern His presence, His word and His will, and to avoid being cunningly deceived by one's ego or by God's adversary and ours. This is important for the spiritual combat in which we are all engaged.