NAIROBI MARCH 21, 2017 (CISA) – Religious Leaders from different backgrounds including Muslim, Catholic, Hindu, on March 18 commemorated 50 years of Nostra Aetate (Vatican II Declaration) at Tangaza University College.
The Nostra Aetate document otherwise referred to as the Vatican II declaration shows how the church should relate with non Christian religions. The document was proclaimed by Pope Paul VI in October 28 1965 with the aim of promoting unity among Christians and non Christians across the world.
Archbishop Michael FitzGerald, the former president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for inter religious dialogue in the Vatican who was at the event noted that the event was rather late in the country compared to other countries that marked it in 2015.
“This document, Nostra Aetate was given to encourage Catholics to see the values of other religions and to encourage corporation with people of other religions. If the different religions are coming together and working together, this is a contribution to the intention and development of the Nostra Aetate,” he said.
The director of religious affairs at the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), Dr. Sheikh Hassan Kinywa Omari, said the Nostra Aetate is one of the shortest Catholic documents, which has a lot of meaning to interfaith dialogue.
“We know that people are talking of peace and unity everywhere in the world, and this is the intent of inter-religious dialogue,”he said.
