While passionate believers around the world wage deadly war upon each other and innocent victims are caught in the crossfire, a religious event of a different nature occurred this summer on Loyola’s campus.
On Aug. 1, religious spokespersons and the faithful from the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Baha’i traditions in the greater New Orleans community met on Loyola’s campus to engage in dialogue with each other.
They confessed their own beliefs, but more importantly they sought to discern what religious beliefs all four faith communities shared. This event was called the Festival of Abraham, and it was the second annual meeting of such folk at Loyola.
It was sponsored by the Interfaith Ecumenical Institute, which is under the leadership of the Rev. Will MacKintosh, and co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of New Orleans with the Rev. James Tarantino of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church representing Archbishop Alfred Hughes.
Last year’s Festival of Abraham focused upon the importance of the symbolic figure of Abraham for the monotheistic faiths. This year’s theme was “Interfaith Sharing: Is Abraham’s Covenant Still Valid?”
About 150 representatives of the four faiths gathered to hear speakers, attend break-out discussion seminars and engage in dialogue again with the speakers and discussion group leaders in a question and answer plenary session.
Keynote speakers for each of the four religious traditions included Rabbi Jeffrey Kurtz-Lendner of Northshore Jewish Congregation, Mahmoud Sarmini, M.D., of the American Muslim Society, Joan West of the Baha’i Community of Avondale, and me.
Among others, discussion group leaders included Emile Noel, director of Religious Education at Holy Name Roman Catholic Church and part-time instructor in religious studies at Loyola.
Discussion centered on how God’s covenant with Abraham symbolically described a valid relationship between God and each of the four religious traditions, how members of each of the communities understood their relationship to God through the Abrahamic covenant and in what ways these understandings were unique to each faith and yet how certain understandings were shared in common by all.
Overall, the emphasis was upon the oneness that united all believers in their devotion to God.
The meeting was held without rancor, for this meeting brought together those devout religionists whose understanding of God led them to see the deeper unity that brings together religious men and women of all persuasions.
After the final plenary session, participants shared in food and fellowship, which featured representative cuisine from the adherents of all four great faiths. And no, the Christians did not bring hot dogs.
For one eats with one’s friends, and in special or sacred meals of any culture, shared food provides a bond of fellowship. As an old New Guinea proverb states, “with our friends we eat, but our enemies we eat.”
This event has not been without its critics for the past two years. Conservative Catholics in the New Orleans community, distressed by the proceedings, have written letters of complaint to the Clarion Herald, to then-President Bernard Knoth and to me, decrying how Loyola and its spokespersons have compromised Christian belief by entering into ecumenical dialogue with Jews and Muslims.
Among other things, these obviously orchestrated letters have declared that “if Philip Hannan were still bishop, this nonsense would not be permitted at Loyola.”
How ironic. Retired Archbishop Hannan is on the Board of Control for the Interfaith Ecumenical Institute, which sponsored this assembly, and he obviously supports its activity.
What critics seemingly do not understand is that Christians affirm their beliefs, rather than betray them, by such ecumenical dialogue, for it affords Christians the opportunity to publicly proclaim their beliefs before others while patiently and respectfully learning from those of other persuasions.
Christians, and Roman Catholics in particular, have declared that the God whom we worship somehow works through other religions in ways in which we do not fully understand, and therefore an attentive ear should be given to those religionists in order to learn more about the God whom we worship.
In a world full of religious insanity, the Festival of Abraham was an instance of truly religious people from diverse backgrounds coming together to share beliefs and overcome misunderstandings – something that the world needs in greater abundance.
Loyola should be proud and thankful for the opportunity to facilitate such an exchange of religious communication.
