Developing interreligious dialogue in Myanmar: reflections on the Vatican document educating to intercultural dialogue in Catholic Schools

Abstract

For the Roman Catholic Church beginning with Vatican II, interreligious dialogue has been promoted as an instrument to obtain mutual understanding. This has been outlined in the document Nostra Aetate. The Bishops of Myanmar, fully aware that interreligious dialogue is highly necessary for witnessing the gospel of Jesus Christ in this Buddhist-majority nation, have taken steps in their respective dioceses to further promote this approach. This paper is an analysis of the ways this has been implemented. It will show that a positive attitude towards interreligious dialogue must be developed in the lives of seminarians while they are undergoing clerical training. As future priests, seminarians should understand and advocate the true meaning of dialogue with other religions in order to carry out their missions seamlessly and successfully.