Catholic Church marks 40 years in relations with non-Christians

Rome, Italy - The Roman Catholic Church began commemorations Sunday to mark the 40th anniversary of a landmark Vatican document on relations with non-Christians, with Vatican officials stressing the need for religious dialogue to bring world peace.

Monsignor Michael Fitzgerald, president of the Vatican's council for interreligious dialogue, led an international conference on progress since the Second Vatican Council's decree "Nostra Aetate" urged respect for all religions.

In the decree, the church repudiated the "deicide" charge that blamed Jews as a people for Christ's death and also addressed relations with other religions. For instance, it urged Muslims and Catholics to "forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding."

Officials acknowledged that the presence of Muslim scholars at the conference was fairly slim, though it did draw representatives of various religions from around the world.

"Obviously the Muslim world is very varied," one organizer told a news conference. "There are those who respond more easily, others who perhaps are less interested" in dialogue with Christians.