The Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs is the principal ecumenical and

interfaith Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...

organization of the

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...

. Active since the 1960s, it is firmly rooted in the teachings of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

on dialogue between religions (

Nostra Aetate (from Latin: "In our time") is the incipit of the Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions of the Second Vatican Council. Passed by a vote of 2,221 to 88 of the assembled bishops, this declaration was promulgated ...

) and dialogue between Christians ( Unitatis Redintegratio). Because the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

is one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world, it has also affected the global ecumenical and interfaith movement in collaborating with organizations that have members and leadership in other nations.

Ecumenical dialogue committees

*American Baptist - Roman Catholic consultation *Joint Working Group with the

National Council of Churches The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, usually identified as the National Council of Churches (NCC), is the largest ecumenical body in the United States. NCC is an ecumenical partnership of 38 Christian faith groups in the Un ...

* Faith and Order Commission * Disciples of Christ - Roman Catholic dialogue *Methodist - Catholic dialogue * Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue *

North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

* Anglican - Roman Catholic consultation * Oriental Orthodox - Roman Catholic consultation * Polish National Catholic - Roman Catholic dialogue

Interfaith dialogue partners

* American Jewish Committee * American Jewish Congress * Synagogue Council of America *

American Muslim Council The American Muslim Council (AMC) is an Islamic organization and registered charity in the United States. Its headquarters is located in Chicago, Illinois. An earlier organization with the same name was founded in 1990 by Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi ...

Islamic Society of North America The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is a nonprofit organization based in Plainfield, Indiana. It provides a number of programs and services to the Muslim community and broader society. ISNA holds an annual convention which is generally re ...

* Islamic Circle of North America *

Muslim American Society The Muslim American Society (MAS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1993 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. MAS describes itself as a grassroots Islamic movement. It has more than 50 chapters across the United States. History Musli ...

* Buddhist Sangha Council of Southern California * Ch’an/Zen Buddhism on the West Coast *Interfaith Relations Commission of the

Chairmen

Lawrence Shehan Lawrence Joseph Shehan (March 18, 1898 – August 26, 1984) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Baltimore from 1961 to 1974 and was made a cardinal in 1965. Shehan was an advocate for civil rights ...

(1964–1965) *

John Carberry John Joseph Cardinal Carberry (July 31, 1904 – June 17, 1998) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in Missouri from 1968 to 1979, and was created a cardinal in 1969. ...

(1965–1969) *

Charles Helmsing Charles Herman Helmsing (March 23, 1908 – December 20, 1993) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph in Missouri (1962–1977). Biography Early life Helmsing w ...

(1969–1972) *

William Wakefield Baum William Wakefield Baum (November 21, 1926 – July 23, 2015) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau in Missouri (1970–1973) and archbishop of the Archdiocese of Wa ...

(1972–1975) * Bernard Law (1975–1978) *Ernest L. Unterkoefler (1978–1981) * John F. Whealon (1981–1984) *

William Keeler William Henry Keeler (March 4, 1931 – March 23, 2017) was an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1989 to 2007 and was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 1994. He previously ser ...

(1984–1987) *

James Francis Stafford James Francis Stafford (born July 26, 1932) is an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary from 2003 to 2009. He previously served as president of the Pontifical Council ...

(1987–1990) * Rembert Weakland, O.S.B. (1990–1993) * Oscar H. Lipscomb (1993–1996) *Alexander J. Brunett (1996–1999) * Tod Brown (1999–2002) *

Stephen Blaire Stephen Edward Blaire (December 22, 1941 – June 18, 2019) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fifth Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton, Bishop of Stockton from March 16, 1999, until January 23, 2018. Biography ...

(2002–2005) * Richard J. Sklba (2005–2008) * Wilton D. Gregory (2008–2011) * Denis J. Madden (2011–present)

References

{{Reflist
Mandate of the Committee
on the USCCB website — mandate from November 1968 and historical notes about the committee back to 1964 Religious organizations established in 1965 Catholic organizations established in the 20th century Catholic ecumenical and interfaith relations Interfaith organizations Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs