“Catholicism has something vital to learn from other religious traditions,” says Cyprian Consiglio, Sec. Gen. of Monastic Interfaith Dialogue

On today’s new episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” I speak with my friend Fr. Cyprian Consiglio, a well-known composer and musician, the former prior of the New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, Cal., and now the Sec. General of Monastic Interfaith Dialogue in Rome, a movement within the Benedictine and Cistercian orders that promotes interfaith dialogue between monastic communities of different religions.

He is the author of several books including Prayer In the Cave of the Heart: the Universal Call to Contemplation; Spirit, Soul, Body: Toward an Integral Christianity Spirituality, and most recently, Epiphanies of Nature and Grace.

“Catholicism and Christianity in general have something vital to learn from other religious traditions,” he tells John. “The world really depends on dialogue between the world religions. So many of our conflicts are based on our ignorance of other religions.”

Recently when someone criticized him for wasting his time on a peripheral issue, he responded that every day the front page news is full of horrific violence based in Muslim fundamentalism, Jewish Zionism and Christian nationalism.

"Everyone has a warped understanding of God", he says.

Nothing could be more relevant. “Evil is very gaudy, loud and colorful; building deep bonds of friendship among the religious traditions around the world is quieter and sturdier. It’s another aspect of peacemaking,” he says.

“One of the most important things we need right now is interreligious dialogue. We all need to find the next step in our maturity in the understanding of God.”

Listen in and be inspired! God bless you all!

beatitudescenter.org

https://fatherjohndear.substack.com/

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🌻 John

Today I speak with Wamuyu Wachira from Nairobi, Kenya, Pres. of Pax Christi International

Sr. Wamũyũ, president of Pax Christi International, the official global Catholic peace movement, is a scholar, educator and peace practitioner with a PhD in Peace Studies. She serves as Senior Lecturer and Program leader in Peace and Conflict Studies at St. Paul University in Nairobi.

“Nonviolence is a way of love, compassion, mercy and peace,” she says. “Pax Christi has 120 member organizations worldwide and has been promoting peace, justice and human rights for 81 years."

"We believe peace is possible and the cycles of violence can be broken. We try to look at nonviolent ways to resolve conflict and war. We are committed to gospel nonviolence and call the Church to dedicate itself to gospel nonviolence."

“I believe the Beatitudes should be part of our DNA. If someone cuts my finger, I want them to see nonviolence flow out of it."

"We have to diffuse evil by first disarming ourselves. We have to choose daily the path of nonviolence. Don't give up!” she concludes. “You never know who sees you and is inspired by your nonviolent living.”

Listen in and be inspired! God bless you all,

🌻 Fr. John

www.paxchristi.net

beatitudescenter.org

This week I speak with my friend Dennis Kucinich, former congressman from Ohio from 1997 to 2013 who has been an outspoken voice against war.

He was perhaps the leading voice against the US war on Iraq, which killed hundreds of thousands of people. He also called for the impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

I met Dennis about a month after 9/11, when New Jersey Peace Action decided to give us their annual peacemaker awards together. We were both told to meet on a Sunday morning at a country club in New Jersey, and when we each got there around 10 am, as I recall, we were the only ones there. So, we took a long walk on the golf course, shared our stories and became friends. Later, at the luncheon, we spoke to a room full of New Jersey peace activists.

“It is possible to live a life that espouses peace?” Dennis Kucinich asks. “What is peace? It's an active presence of a capacity for reflection and alignment with love, brother and sisterhood and understanding the meaning of the golden rule."

"We are interconnected and interdependent and we are all Children of God. We are at a pivot point in the history of the US right now. Unless we stop licensing, funding and creating implements of war, we will not survive as a nation."

“War is one of the gravest offences because it takes away people's lives in a way that makes no sense. "

"War is original sin."

Kucinich spontaneously recites a poem for us:

"I have only just a minute

Only 60 seconds in it

Forced upon me, can't refuse it

Didn't seek it, didn't choose it

But isn't up to me to use it

Give account if I abuse it

Heaven help me if I lose it

Just one tiny little minute

But eternity is in it"

- Sister Lucia

Listen in and be inspired!

beatitudescenter.org

🌻, John