Jaarboek Thomas Instituut 1997 - Thomas Instituut te Utrecht

AQUINAS AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE 21
or pagans, they may do so if they have a firm faith, so that the
communication will lead to the conversion of unbelievers rather than
to the turning away from faith by the believers. If, however, one is
not that firmly grounded in faith, communication with unbelievers
should be forbidden, because the probability of downfall from faith is
to be feared in such a case".
The result of this direct approach is disappointing indeed: Aquinas
sees interreligious communication in terms of danger or chance for
possible conversion. If the chances are that the unbelievers will be
converted, this communication is permitted; this is especially the case
with Christians who are sure of their ground and with theologians - at
least in Aquinas' time. If, however, there is a chance that the
Christian will become doubtful or even incline to the other faith,
interreligious communication should be forbidden. Any form of
intimacy with unbelievers has to be discouraged.
So, Aquinas leaves no room for interreligious dialogue as a
willingness to learn from another; he only leaves room for
evangelization as the appeal to the other to convert to the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. Aquinas seems to take sides with the fundamentalists and
exclusivists of all ages; not with the open-minded pluralists or
inclusivists: that is where the direct approach to the issue of
interreligious dialogue in Aquinas leads to. And yet, in his own life
and work, Aquinas was open-minded, willing to learn the truth, no
matter where that truth could be found. One of his famous expressions
is: every truth, wherever it is to be found, is a truth from God. What
matters is not who says it, but 'if it is true. This reminds one of the
famous words of the second Vatican Council about other religions:
"the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these
37 ST IT-ITq.lO a.9: "Si enim aliqui fuerint firmi in fide, ita quod ex
communione eorum cum infidelibus conversio infidelium magis sperari possit
quam fidelium a fide aversio; non sunt prohibendi infidelibus communieare
qui fidem non susceperunt, scilicet paganis vel Iudaeis, et maxime si necessitas
urgeat. Si autem sint simplices et infirmi in fide, de quorum subversione
probabiliter timeri possit, prohibendi· sunt ab infidelium córnmunione: et
praecipue ne magnam familiaritatem cum eis habeant, vel absque necessitate
eis communicent" (ed. Leonina, VID, p. 90-91).