Mission Impossible? : Pope Benedict XVI and Interreligious Dialogue

There exist very different accounts about the attitude of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI to interreligious dialogue. Does interreligious dialogue aim at truth and intertwine with mission, or is it an impossibility that needs to be replaced with an intercultural dialogue about peaceful coexistence and common values? This article traces the complex history and relationship of these views from the 1990s, through the much-misunderstood letter to Marcello Pera in 2008, until Benedict's retirement. Despite impressions to the contrary, Pope Benedict XVI's commitment to interreligious dialogue remains firm.Peer reviewe