Who Is My Neighbour?

The Catholic Church, especially since the Second Vatican Council, has come to assess other religions in rather positive light. Of course, as we shall see in a while, this positive assessment has to be understood in proper terms lest one should once again slip into either one of the two fallacies about the status of our non-Christian neighbours in relation to the Church.

The Second Vatican Council teaches that God’s salvation plan includes all peoples: even Jews, Muslims, and peoples of other non-Christian religions. “Christ, the New Adam, through the mystery of His incarnation, death and resurrection, is at work in each human person to bring about interior renewal.” (Dialogue and Proclamation, 1991, point 15).

This holds true not for Christians only but also for all persons of good will in whose hearts grace is active invisibly. For since Christ died for all, and since all are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the Paschal mystery.

(Gaudium et Spes, 1965, point 22)

The Church further goes on to say that all these who have “not yet received the Gospel are related to the people of God in various ways” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, point 839). In points 839 to 842 of the Catechism (also in Lumen Gentium, 1964, point 26), further explication is given on the unique nature of each of these relationships. Then, point 843 sums up these relationships as follows:

The Catholic Church recognises in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since He gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as “a preparation for the Gospel…”

It is imperative that we should note here - categorically - that the Church does not say that all religions are equal or that all religions bring salvation. In fact, the Catechism also speaks of how “in their religious behavior… men [i.e. people of other religions] also display the limits and errors that disfigure the image of God in them” (point 844). This unambiguously points to the necessity of evangelisation.