The Venerable Nikkyo Niwano and Interreligious Dialogue

The Venerable Nikkyo Niwano
and Interreligious Dialogue

by Michael L. Fitzgerald

The presence of Pope John Paul II at the opening ceremony of the Sixth World Assembly of the WCRP in the Vatican was the fulfillment of a dream for Rissho Kosei-kai's founder.

In his autobiography Lifetime Beginner,1) Ven. Nikkyo Niwano tells how he was invited to attend the last period of the Second Vatican Council. The invitation was conveyed to him through the apostolic nuncio, the representative of the Holy See, in Tokyo. The fact was quite remarkable, for it was the first time in the history of the Catholic Church that a member of another religion was invited to attend a meeting of its leaders. Intrigued as to why he should be singled out, Ven. Nikkyo Niwano later discovered that it was a form of recognition for the work that the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai and its members had carried out in the field of interreligious cooperation.

Participation in the Council was in fact limited: attendance at the liturgy for the opening of the final period, and an audience with His Holiness Pope Paul VI. Yet these brief moments were to have a deep impact on Ven. Nikkyo Niwano. It is good to quote his own words:

The pope . . . rose upon seeing me enter the room and welcomed me by name. I raised my hands and the prayer beads I was holding in a Buddhist greeting. Then the pope extended his hand, shook mine, and finally took it between his, where it remained throughout the audience. "I know what you are doing for interreligious cooperation. It is very wonderful. Please continue to promote this wonderful movement," the pope said. As he spoke he looked into my eyes. His voice was low, calm, and grave. Continuing he said: "In the Vatican, too, the attitude toward non-Christian religions is changing. It is important for people of religion not to cling to factions or denominations but to recognize one another and pray for one another." My heart was warm as I realized that the true meaning of religious cooperation can be seen in mutual prayers among all people of faith. The Buddhist must pray for the Christian, and the Christian for the Buddhist.

"I shall exert my best efforts for the sake of world peace," I said to the pope, who replied: "God will surely bless you in the noble work you have undertaken." I was refreshed and encouraged by the sincerity and truth of what he said. . . .

As I left the room, I could still feel the warmth of the pope's handshake. That had been no ordinary handshake. It was a flesh-and-blood representation of mutual understanding between the religions of the East and the West, between a Buddhist and the head of a church that had long been known for exclusivism. I believe that our handshake proved to be the starting point of the creation of a new kind of religious relationship.2)

It is worth pointing out that this event took place a little more than a year after Pope Paul VI had instituted the Secretariat for Non-Christians, later to become the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, precisely to put into application the new vision of the Vatican Council regarding relations among people of different religions. It preceded Ven. Niwano's involvement in the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP), which was to bear fruition in the first conference, held in Kyoto in 1970. The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has always given its support to this movement, and since the Fourth World Assembly, held in Nairobi, the president of the Council has taken part in these gatherings.

In 1990, I myself had the privilege of representing the Council at the celebration in Kyoto of the twentieth anniversary of the WCRP. Two years later I was again in Japan and was invited to take part in a meeting of the Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan. Ven. Nikkyo Niwano was at that time chairman of this association. I noted the dignified way in which he carried out his duties and the esteem in which he was held by all. On the same occasion it was my good fortune to be able to spend a short time with a Rissho Kosei-kai family. I was struck by the practice of family prayer, something that Ven. Nikkyo Niwano strongly encouraged, and this experience reinforced my appreciation for the movement.

In the account given of the meeting with Pope Paul VI there is a noteworthy insistence on prayer, a conviction shared by the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai and the pope. In October 1986, Pope John Paul II invited religious leaders from around the world to Assisi in order to pray for peace. President Niwano was not able to attend in person, but he sent his son, Nichiko Niwano, the current president of Rissho Kosei-kai, to represent him.

Ven. Niwano's commitment to understanding among people of different religions received international recognition. He was awarded the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion. This brought him into contact with a former recipient of the prize, Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Focolare Movement in the Catholic Church. The two founders discovered that they were animated by a similar spirit, and friendship grew between them and the two movements which has proved to be extremely fruitful in the field of interreligious cooperation.

In 1994 Ven. Nikkyo Niwano was in the Vatican once again for the opening ceremony of the Sixth World Assembly of the WCRP. The assembly itself was held in Riva del Garda, in the north of Italy. The organizers wished to invite the pope to address the Assembly, but since it was impossible for him to make the journey at that time, it was arranged to have the opening ceremony in the Vatican. The Pontifical Council was happy to work with the representatives of the WCRP, including members of Rissho Kosei-kai, to facilitate this event. It was held in the Synod Hall, a place usually reserved for meetings of bishops of the Catholic Church.

The presence of Pope John Paul II was welcomed with joy. He took his seat at the center of the presidential table, flanked on either side by religious leaders. Cardinal Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council, was on the pope's right, and Ven. Nikkyo Niwano, on his left. After opening remarks by Dr. Aram, at that time a president of the WCRP, Founder Niwano traced briefly the history of the movement and welcomed the Holy Father in the name of all. In his discourse to the assembly, Pope John Paul II drew attention to the role of the family in educating for peace, and reiterated his conviction that all efforts toward peace must be accompanied by prayer. These are certainly points that had the full agreement of Ven. Niwano, seeing the important place given to both the family and to prayer in Rissho Kosei-kai. The pope's address was in fact followed by a moment of prayer, with invocations being offered according to different religious traditions. Before departing, the pope was asked to bless the assembly, which he did. He then greeted personally many of the participants, including Ven. Nikkyo Niwano.

I think it can be said without hesitation that this event was the fulfillment of a dream for Founder Niwano. It sustained him in his continuing work for interreligious understanding, cooperation, and peace, right to the end of his long life.

Notes

1) Kosei Publishing Company, Tokyo, 1978.
2) Lifetime Beginner, pp. 224-25.

Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald, newly appointed as the apostolic nuncio in Egypt and the Holy See's delegate to the League of Arab States, had served as president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He was also the director of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Rome for many years.

This article was originally published in the April-June 2006 issue of Dharma World.


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