"LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU": THE PLACE OF FRIENDSHIP IN INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

Fifty years ago, the Catholic hierarchy gathered in an ecumenical council to reflect pastorally on how and where God is inviting the Catholic Church, as the world continues to reflect the religiously pluralistic realities brought about by migration and globalization. Unfortunately, the wind of change that blew over the Catholic Church globally during Vatican II has not always been reflected in the concrete encounters between the Catholic Church and other religions. The current religious tensions and negative polemics that have shaped interreligious relations in Nigeria have become a source of great scandal to all people of faith. An unhealthy desire to eradicate other religions through violence, intimidation, and aggressive apologetics has clouded the religious consciousness of many religious leaders in Nigeria. It is urgent to foster dialogue and to critique unfounded myths that deny religious freedom to those who are different.