Reflecting on the role of Sects and New Religious Movements

Yesterday, there was a consultation on the subject of New Religious Movements at the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.  The purpose of this encounter, organized by the Pontifical Coucil for Inter-religious Dialogue, was to offer an opportunity to study a particular theme which merits reflection.  Forty participants, representing various Vatican Dicasteries (offices), Pontifical Universities the Italian Conference of Bishops and the Vicariate of Rome were present.

The Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, together with the Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Councils for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and for Culture each participated in providing input for this occasion of discussion and study of New Religious Movements.

Since 1986, the year when a brief provisional report entitled The phenomenon and pastoral challenge of cults and new religious movements was published, the fruit of a questionnaire which had been sent during the preceding year to Episcopal Conferences, the above-mentioned Dicasteries have continued the work of preparing a reflection based on the anthology of texts of the Catholic Church (1986-1994) relative to the New Religious Movements, entitled Sects and New Religious Movements: texts of the Catholic Church (1986-1994).  In 2003, the volume entitled Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Water of Life was published, a Christian reflection on the New Age, prepared by the Pontifical Councils for Culture and for Inter-religious Dialogue.  This was followed in 2004, by an International Consultation on the subject of the New Age.

Yesterday's consultation is a further step along the way of reflection, study and research into effective pastoral responses.  The speakers (at yesterday's meeting) presented a variety of topics:

His Excellency, Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, spoke on the subject of The New Religious Movements and the new evangelization;

Father Michael Fuss, from the Pontifical Gregorian University spoke on the theme of New frontiers of the sacred.  Dialogue and confrontation between faith and credulity;

Monsignor Juan Usma Gomez, who oversees the work of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity spoke of Catholics and Pentecostals in comparison: identity, relations and perspectives;

Father Alessandro Olivieri Pennesi, from the Office for the New Cults in the Vicariate of Rome reflected on The phenomenon of the New Age; and

Father Michael P. Gallagher, SJ, from the Pontifical Gregorian University provided his intervention entitled The phenomenon of the New Age and the new religious movements: an analysis of the cultural context.

His Eminence, Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue opened and closed the working session, while Father Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, Secretary of the same Dicastery served as the moderator of yesterday's meeting.