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Interfaith Reception 2023

Friends from Other Faiths Flock to the Eyre Hall in the Curia of the Archdiocese of Glasgow
by Duncan McLaren, Member of the Bishops’ Committee

Members of the Scottish Bishops’ Committee for Interreligious Dialogue were delighted with the turnout of faith leaders on 28th September.

This was our first Interfaith Reception since the Covid pandemic which stopped the annual meeting from taking place for three years.

Over 60 leaders from communities representing the major faiths as well as friends from the other Churches, local politicians and the Director of Interfaith Scotland were welcomed by the new Interfaith Officer, Joe Sikora. He was standing in for the President, Bishop Brian McGee, who had to go to Belfast due to a family bereavement.

FR5 (002)The guests enjoyed a talk by Sr Isabel Smyth SND, the former Secretary of the Committee and a renowned and well-loved promoter of interfaith dialogue in Scotland. She reflected on what she had learned over three decades about interreligious dialogue and talked about how her interaction with other faiths led not only to knowledge about them but how it transformed and increased her own faith. She focused on four things.

Firstly, on the need for gratitude. Gratitude for the wisdom and insight gained from the faith of others, for the widening of her perspective so that my notion of God, faith has expanded beyond what it was in my own tradition, and for the friendships of many of the people she has encountered over the years.

Secondly, she reflected on the need to “honour the pain” that has marked the chequered history of religious encounters, including the exclusive and oppressive aspects of her own religion, and a long-held belief that the Catholic faith contained the only truth and others lived in ignorance.

She also reflected how interfaith dialogue had given her the ability to see things “with new eyes”.  In particular the diversity found within faiths which makes interreligious dialogue so interesting and challenging.

Finally, Sr. Isabel reflected on the way forward or “going forth”, as collaborators in a vast project to make the world a better place for everyone to live in justice and peace.

Everyone was relieved to meet up again which could be heard in the conversations, the laughter and the invitations given out so freely. Over a simple meal, the atmosphere was one of genuine dialogue, made all the easier because of the friendships forged previously.

A Shia Muslim guest commented: I always enjoyed coming here and used to meet with the late Archbishop Mario Conti.  We became good friends!”.  A Hindu lady who never missed this event in the past said she felt “very much at home as usual”.

It is an occasion such as this that reminds us we are all building, through our interfaith work, peaceful communities which spread that message of living in harmony together throughout society.

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