Students join Cardinal for interfaith prayer

After reading prayers of peace from the Jewish, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim traditions, students read wishes for peace written by classmates. They placed these amid a display of religious artifacts that included a Buddhist statue, Muslim mat and a wooden cross.

"It is not very often that people of different religions get together to pray," said Joan Horgan, of the campus ministry office. "A lot of things keep us from doing that."

Union

He has just retired as the president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and of the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.

His close work with other denominations, he said, has influenced Catholicism.

"We have learned to take better look at ourselves and see how we are being true to our own faith," said the Cardinal. "For instance, a fundamental concern of the Gospel is to love one another. We cannot say we have done that when we refuse to pray with other Christians."

Diversity

"We are not looking for a uniform body but rather unity among diverse groups," he said. "The question is when unity and diversity can enrich each other and when they conflict."

Cardinal Cassidy said that a person in dialogue must not be confused in his religion but must stay true to his faith. The things that are most fundamental to one's religion should not be compromised during a dialogue.

"The fundamental part of our faith is seeing only one mediator between man and God, only one savior," said Cassidy. "That is not something we can put aside in dialogue but is something we must bring with us."

Reaction

"A lot of people here had never met a Jewish person before they meet me," she said. "They are really interested in my religion and ask me questions, such as what I do in my service and how long it is and where I go for it."

She first visited the College during Passover last year. She remembers sitting in the cafeteria with her matzo sandwich.

"I felt very comfortable. I didn't feel any pressure to conform to anyone else's religion," she said.

College feeling

According to a survey conducted by a campus committee on diversity, 65 percent of incoming freshmen and transfer students last fall said they were Catholic. Methodism was the next most popular denomination, accounting for seven percent of the incoming students. The remaining students were divided among numerous religions, including Hinduism, Islam and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

"Students have learned how to develop appreciation for their own tradition," said Dr. Marlett. "They also appreciate other people's religious perspectives."

Evolution

"If you don't ever look at what other people think, you won't ask questions about why your own beliefs developed as they did," she said.

Communication with other religions also reduce the degree of separation between religious groups, she noted.

"When you have more experience with other people by talking to them, living with them and learning about what they believe, fears and bigotries lessen," she said. "If you zero in on differences between groups, avoidance, distrust or war results. But if you zero in on similarities and commit to dialogue, understanding grows. It is becoming more and more important for people to continue to commit to dialogue and to keeping the channels of communication open because the alternatives are all horrific."

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