Prof. Francis X. Clooney Calls for Deeper Interreligious Understanding at the 60th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate.
At the 60th anniversary celebration of Nostra Aetate, organized by the Center for Interreligious Studies in Africa (CISA) at Hekima University College in Nairobi, distinguished Jesuit scholar Prof. Francis X. Clooney, SJ, delivered a thought-provoking keynote address urging the Catholic Church to renew its commitment to interreligious dialogue and learning.
Prof. Clooney, a Harvard University theologian renowned for his work in comparative theology, reflected on the enduring significance of Nostra Aetate. This 1965 Vatican II declaration transformed the Church’s relationship with non-Christian religions. Describing it as “a symbol of all that was best about Vatican II,” he said the document opened the Catholic Church to “repentance, reconciliation, and the adventure of dialogue with the world’s faiths.”
Clooney recalled theologian Karl Rahner’s post–Vatican II insight that the Council marked “the Church’s first official self-actualization as a world Church.” Before Vatican II, Clooney noted, Catholicism often acted “like an export firm” sending out a European religion “as a commodity.” In contrast, Nostra Aetate marked the Church’s first serious step toward global self-awareness and inclusivity.
Tracing six decades of impact, Prof Clooney highlighted the Church’s official interreligious efforts, spanning Jewish-Christian reconciliation to dialogues with Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. He cited key follow-up documents such as Dialogue and Proclamation (1991), Dominus Iesus (2000), and The Gifts and the Calling of God Are Irrevocable (2015) as milestones in shaping Catholic theological engagement with other faiths.
“These texts,” he said, “show how every Pope since Paul VI has taken Nostra Aetate seriously, each in his own way, ensuring that it continues to shape Catholic identity in a pluralistic world.”
In an innovative reading, Clooney proposed that Nostra Aetate should be understood “backwards,” beginning with its discussion of Judaism and Islam before moving to the Asian and indigenous religions. He explained that the document’s structure reflects the Church’s urgent post-Holocaust reckoning with antisemitism, later expanded to include Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and indigenous peoples.
Yet he cautioned that while Jewish and Muslim relations are treated as historical, the Asian and indigenous traditions are presented “historically, as if the Church were starting from zero.” This, he said, left Catholics with the responsibility to “go out, learn, and discern what is true and holy” in those religions.
Drawing from his decades of comparative theological research in Hinduism, Prof Clooney described Nostra Aetate as a “charter for exploration.” Its assertion that the Church “rejects nothing true and holy” in other religions, he argued, remains an open invitation to Christians to engage deeply with other faiths.
“Wherever there is truth, there is Christ,” he said. “Wherever there is life, there is Christ. Nostra Aetate permits us not to be afraid of the religious other.”
Turning to Africa, Prof Clooney humbly admitted his limited experience of the continent but praised its “theological creativity and religious effervescence.” He cited theologian Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, SJ, who described Africa’s Church as vibrant, dynamic, and increasingly self-confident.
He noted that African Catholicism’s encounter with Islam and indigenous traditions poses both opportunities and challenges. Referring to Church synods and papal documents, including Pope Benedict XVI’s Africae Munus, he observed a tension between openness and caution, between genuine dialogue and fear of “syncretism” or “witchcraft.”
Prof Clooney urged African theologians and faith leaders “to take Nostra Aetate further,” engaging local spiritual traditions with “open-minded study” and reciprocal dialogue.
Reflecting on missionary figures such as Fr. Eric de Rosny, SJ, who sought initiation into African healing traditions, Clooney asked whether such bold encounters would remain “exceptions or new paths to follow.” Drawing a parallel to Jesuits in India, such as Roberto de Nobili, he questioned whether intercultural and interreligious immersion should remain the preserve of outsiders.
“If we do not cross over,” he challenged, “can we really understand what is good and true in the other?”
Prof Clooney ended his speech by returning to Rahner’s idea of the Church as a “world Church,” asking whether, six decades later, it has truly achieved that vision. His challenge to theologians and believers alike was clear: they continue the unfinished work of Nostra Aetate by embracing humility, learning across boundaries, and seeking truth wherever it may be found.
“Nostra Aetate remains a living mandate,” Clooney concluded, “for Catholics and all people of faith to learn, listen, and walk together in the Spirit of truth and love.”
By Pamela Adinda, HUC International Office and Communications Coordinator
