The Roman Catholic Church and Interreligious Dialogue

Abstract

Pope John Paul II contributed more than any other Pope in Christian history to interreligious dialogue. This article reviews the pastoral approach of Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) to interreligious dialogue (IRD) and its application in the Archdiocese of Mombasa, Kenya. The Roman Catholic Church (RCC) embraced IRD during the Vatican II Council (1962-1965) convened by Pope John XXIII, who passed on in 1963. While his successor, Pope Pius VI, guided the council and laid grounds for IRD by shifting from its exclusive theology of the pre-Vatican period, Pope John Paul II directed and shaped the pastoral approach of the RCC on IRD and social cohesion. This article analyses Pope John Paul II's magisterium and encyclicals on IRD and its pastoral application by the Archdiocese of Mombasa in moderation of religious and social extremism. It argues that the Archdiocese of Mombasa adopted interreligious dialogue to strengthen interreligious relations and build social cohesion.