Making Space at the Table? Pope Francis and the Challenge of Religious Pluralism and Inter-Religious Dialogue (original) (raw)

This chapter addresses the question about the future of the Roman Catholic Church regarding ecumenical and interreligious engage- ment in light of the election of Cardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as Pope Francis. Exploring the ecumenical and interreligious background of Cardinal Bergoglio could give us some elements to intuitively map the possible outcomes of his papacy in an increasingly pluralistic and secularized worldwide context. The first section of the chapter briefly outlines the history of the ecumenical movement in Latin America, with special attention to Argentina. The second section draws from mass media and interviews with key actors within the ecumenical movement in Argentina to conclude, in the final section, with the brief descrip- tion of two challenges that Pope Francis would face as the head of the Roman Catholic Church.