Westminster Interfaith is the agency in the Diocese that oversees interreligious dialogue. In its simplest form, Pope St John Paul II described dialogue as 'a way of living in positive relationship with others' (Meeting God in Friend and Stranger (CBCEW), 2010, §2).
Practicing the Church's call to interreligious dialogue can help us to see people of other religions not in opposition to us, but in relation to us. It is a teaching that encourages Catholics to view everyone ‘created, as they are, in the image of God’ (Nostra Aetate, 1965, §5).
Founded in 1981, Westminster Interfaith works to live out this call to promote dialogue, respect and collaboration between Catholics and the followers of other religions in the Diocese of Westminster.
If you are interested in being kept up to date with the work of Westminster Interfaith, including our upcoming events, please sign up for our newsletter here.
Or, if you would like to get in touch with our Interfaith Coordinator, please email westminsterinterfaith@rcdow.org.uk or click here.
Celebrating 60 Years of Nostra Aetate
2025 marks 60 years since the proclamation of Nostra Aetate: The Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.
To mark this anniversary, Fr Michael Barnes SJ (Professor Emeritus of Theology at Heythrop University) will be offering a 4-week course on the document, exploring its impact on the Catholic Church's teaching on interreligious dialogue.
The first 3 sessions will be delivered, in person, at the Diocesan offices in Vaughan House (just behind Westminster Cathedral). The 4th session will take the form of an interfaith celebration, held at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, from 7-9pm on Tuesday 28th October.
The course will be suitable for all those who have an interest in dialogue and, particularly, in understanding the Catholic Church's teaching on interreligious dialogue.
If you would like to sign up to this course, please email westminsterinterfaith@rcdow.org.uk for more information.