A Forum for Nostra Aetate's 60th Year (November 2025)

From opposition to dialogue – Vatican II and the Church’s stand on other religions

To mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra aetate (In our time), the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, the Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue (ACCIRD) and the Archdiocesan Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism Centre of Singapore (AIRDECS) organised a forum on how Catholics view other religions.

Some 50 people attended the event held at Saint Joseph’s Church (Victoria Street) – Catholics; Protestant Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim friends; representatives from various institutions; and partners from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Harmony Circles. Together, they explored the Declaration’s history and theology, as well as its implications on interreligious dialogue from its conception until present times.

Phra Goh, Advisor to Buddhist Youth Network, sharing his thoughts in his breakout group composed of Fr Gerard Louis CSsR, lay Catholics, a Muslim, and a Buddhist. Photo: AIRDECS.

Paradigm shift

Mr Arthur Goh, Academic Director of the Catholic Theological Institute of Singapore (CTIS), began by giving the audience a historical overview of Nostra aetate, whose origins, he said, can be traced to the advocacy of French Jewish historian Jules Isaac who urged Pope Saint John XXIII to correct a Catholic teaching of contempt towards Jews as it was incoherent with Jesus’ message of love.

This contempt was based on the centuries-old anti-Jewish theology of deicide, the notion that Jews were guilty of Jesus’ death, and were thus rejected by God.

John XXIII then commissioned Cardinal Augustin Bea of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity to draft a document calling for respect for the truth and holiness present in various religions and explicitly rejecting all forms of religious discrimination, including antisemitism. The document eventually broadened its scope to include Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists.

On Oct 28, 1965, Nostra aetate was passed by the Council and promulgated by an overwhelming vote of 2,221 bishops to 88.

“Vatican II (1962-65) was an event of unprecedented scale, with some 2,500 bishops in attendance throughout the Council,” said Mr Goh. “Nostra aetate marked the Church’s shift from exclusivity to inclusivity, from opposition to dialogue. Catholics around the world are now called to treat people of different faiths with fraternity and respect. This is a precious fruit of Vatican II.”

Dialogue

Jesuit Fr Francis Lim, who lectures at CTIS, then highlighted that although Nostra aetate was only five paragraphs long, it signalled the Church’s move from a defensive posture to an attitude of openness.

“The declaration carries profound theological significance, and must be read together with Vatican II’s dogmatic constitution on the Church, Lumen gentium, and its decree on missionary activity, Ad gentes,” said Fr Lim.

Lumen gentium states that those who sincerely seek God and act through the dictates of conscience –even without knowing Christ – may attain salvation (LG, 16).

This reflected a change from the Church’s earlier stance of “no salvation outside the Church” to an understanding that “God’s grace is everywhere”, said Fr Lim.

While Nostra aetate balances “bridges” with “boundaries” – that the Church extends a hand of friendship while maintaining that salvation finds its fullness in Christ, Ad gentes also emphasises that the Church and baptism remain necessary for salvation (AG, 7), he said.

Fr Lim added that authentic interreligious dialogue must arise from love and sincerity, not mere tolerance, and dialogue takes place in four forms: theological exchange, religious experience, action, and of life – and involves a “triple dialogue” with the poor, with cultures, and with religions.

The Church must hold firmly to its core faith while fostering peace and interreligious understanding with openness and compassion, he said.

Local efforts

Sr Maria Lau IJ, ACCIRD Chairperson, and Mr Gerald Kong, AIRDECS Executive Secretary, then shared how Nostra aetate has been lived out in Singapore through the years.

Singapore is one of the most religiously-diverse countries in the world, and since the establishment of the Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore (IRO) in 1949, leaders of different faiths have united to promote social harmony, said Sr Maria.

The Catholic Church moved from being an IRO observer to a full-fledged member in 1965.

On Nostra aetate’s 40th anniversary in 2005, a grassroots initiative led by women religious formed the Archdiocesan Council for Inter-Religious and Ecumenical Dialogue (IRED) as a move toward an organised framework for dialogue with the active participation of lay collaborators.

In 2013, IRED was split into ACCIRD and the Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Ecumenical Dialogue (ACCED) to deepen interreligious and ecumenical efforts, while AIRDECS was inaugurated in 2024 to initiate research, strengthen formation, and encounter in these areas.

Mr Kong then shared examples of the Archdiocese’s sustained interreligious engagements – Christmas celebrations; visiting different places of worship; organising youth sports events, interreligious panels, and workshops; giving talks within the Church and beyond; and participating in international conferences.

“Dialogue begins with deep listening – not with the ears, but with an open heart,” he said. “Only then can we reduce prejudice and see others through the eyes of Christ.”

Participants then shared their thoughts on the day’s session in groups, while the four speakers fielded a lively question-and-answer session.

Ms Claribel Low from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said she appreciated the historical context of Nostra aetate as well as how it is practised here.

“It had the right mix of intellectual rigour and personal reflections, and the invitation to share in our smaller groups allowed us to relate the content of the talks to our personal lives and experiences,” she said.

Closing the event, Msgr Peter Zhang CDD, Vicar General for Interreligious and Ecumenical Relations, urged those present to continue fostering communication and cooperation among religions in contribution to peace and harmony in society.

Written by AIRDECS for Catholic News