Interreligious Dialgue is one of the precious and enjoyable
apostolates we engage in here at Lavigerie Formation House. It is experienced
through many dimensions: experts, social action, spiritual experience and life.
We usually encounter people of other faiths in our apostolates like Makenke
Slum, Jinja Hospital, and Home of Hope etc. Dialogue for Experts is usually through
encountering the spiritual leaders of other faiths like Islam, Hinduism. The
content discussed here concerns the deepening of knowledge of the basic beliefs
of the other. The Dialogue for Social Action is geared at promoting peace and
justice in our society. In addition, the Dialogue of Spiritual Experience aims
at enriching the other’s spiritual life by borrowing some practices from the
other religion. This is in view of helping one pray or meditate better. It is
not for one to abandon one’s own beliefs, which is closely leading to
proselytism, which is never the aim of this encounter. Finally, the Dialogue of
Life combines all the above.
Here in Jinja, we are offered this as an elective course at
PCJ. The knowledge acquired from this, has offered us the opportunity to easily
understand the other religion practitioners, and the best way to mingle with them. The
dialogue is not aimed at proselytism, conversion of the other, and neither is
it centered on defending one’s faith. Rather, we are driven by the passion to
witness to the love of Christ as Christians. This fosters the promotion of
human dignity, peace and justice which is more in line with the charism of the
Society of the Missionaries of Africa; Caritas.
This enables us be more missionary than clerical as the recently concluded
chapter stipulates it.
Ainomugisha Matthew