Inter Faith Week 2025 – Luton Marked 60 Years of Nostra Aetate

At the LCoF meeting, faith leaders received a copy of Nostra Aetate, courtesy of the Diocese of Westminster.

placeholder image — At the LCoF meeting, faith leaders received a copy of Nostra Aetate, courtesy of the Diocese of Westminster.

Faith Matters by David Jonathan, Grassroots & Luton Council of Faiths

Inter Faith Week offers a focal point to strengthen relationships between people of different faiths and beliefs—a mission otherwise championed year-round by organisations such as Grassroots, Luton Council of Faiths (LCoF), and the Near Neighbours Programme.

Commemorating this year’s Inter Faith Week, Luton Council of Faiths (LCoF), gathered faith leaders to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate (Latin words meaning: "In our time"). It was the groundbreaking declaration of the Second Vatican Council issued by Pope Paul VI in 1965 calling for respect and dialogue among religions—a message that remains urgent amid growing anti-Muslim, anti-Jewish, anti-migrant hate speech & extremism threatening community safety, cohesion and mutual trust.

One faith leader observed that Britain—and indeed the world—needs this message today even more than it did 60 years ago.

At the LCoF meeting, Helen Burgess (R), the University of Bedfordshire Co-Lead Chaplain, explained Nostra Aetate to faith leaders

Explaining Nostra Aetate, Fr David Nixon, Parish Priest at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church said, “It was revolutionary in its emphasis on respect for humanity, creation, and the sacred. It calls us to work together for peace and understanding. It reminds us that our shared moral concerns—care for the environment, human dignity, and peace—place us on holy ground, and call us all to treat one another with respect and reverence.

Fr Nixon belongs to a Catholic Order called the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. He said, “The word heart is a very rich symbol because every country, every culture, and every faith in the world looks at the heart as the centre of the person. And when we do that, we discover that we have far more in common in terms of our humanity to unite us than to divide us. Nostra Aetate is that symbolism of the heart, and if we can encounter each other, heart to heart, it breaks down prejudice and builds unity.”

Helen Burgess, Co-Lead Chaplain at the University of Bedfordshire, shared, “It’s not just about interfaith dialogue but also how Christians relate to one another. It teaches that our faith can be strengthened through encounters with others.”

Helen noted its powerful affirmation: “The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in other religions.” This principle underpins the University Chaplaincy’s daily work, supported by the Luton Council of Faiths (LCoF).