Just a couple of weeks after international leaders met to exalt interfaith efforts, the pope cast doubt on interfaith dialogue.

According to the New York Times, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a letter to an Italian politician about his upcoming book, Why We Must Call Ourselves Christian.

He wrote that “an interreligious dialogue in the strict sense of the word is not possible…a true dialogue is not possible without putting one’s faith in parentheses” (quoted in Sunday’s issue of Corriere della Sera).

Still, he thinks intercultural dialogue is important in order to confront the consequences of religion.

What do you think? Does this mean the pope isn’t interested in interfaith relations? Or is he simply hesitant?

Copyright 2009 Religion Transcends.

Filed under: Catholicism, Christianity