By: Maxwell Bruns ~Staff Writer~

The Xavier President’s Office, in collaboration with the Brueggemann Center for Dialogue, Bellarmine Parish, the Center for Mission and Identity, the theology department and various off-campus organizations, will the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate with a panel discussion on interfaith collaboration. The event, “Responsibility And Hope For A World In Conflict,” will commemorate the publication of the Catholic Church document “Nostra Aetate, Our Age,” a statement attempting to better the Church’s relations with non-Christian religions. Xavier will be the host to three experts in theological exploration — one Catholic, one Muslim and one Jewish.

The event invitation reads, “Join us with three global leaders in interreligious thought and action to explore together ways in which interfaith collaboration can enrich our community and our world.” One speaker, Yonathan Arfi, is vice president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) and the chairman of CRIF’s commission for international affairs. He also acts as a board member on the main Jewish social welfare program in France.

Another, Fr. Francis Clooney, stands at Harvard as the Parkman Professor of Divinity, professor of comparative theology and director of the Center for the Study of World Religions. The last, Dr. Seyyed Hossen Nasr, is a professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, whose expertise lies in comparative philosophy and religion. The stated goal of the event is to build upon the foundation of interfaith dialogue laid by Nostra Aetate and continue the growth of the global faith community.

Off-campus sponsors include the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. The discussion will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18 in the James and Caroline Duff Banquet Center in Cintas Center. The event is open to the public, and there will be a reception afterward with light refreshments. No reservation is needed. For more information, visit http://www.xavier.edu/dialogue.