Society
Of The Divine Word

This marks his third Vatican appointment, following earlier service with the Pontifical Council for Culture and later with the same Dicastery under Pope Francis. With decades of engagement across faith traditions, Father Michael continues to dedicate himself to fostering mutual understanding, peace, and dialogue, deeply rooted in his identity as a Divine Word Missionary (SVD).

A Trusted Voice in Dialogue
Father Michael expressed his joy at the reappointment, calling it “a grace and a call to continue serving the Church in this important ministry.” He first served as Consultor to the Pontifical Council for Culture from 2008 to 2020, and later to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in 2020.

With 25 years of leadership in the Archdiocese of Bombay, he has built strong relationships with Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Jain, and Zoroastrian leaders through interreligious meetings and celebrations. He also helped establish the Basics in Interreligious Dialogue (BIRD) course to train Catholic youth for dialogue and peacebuilding.

“I can bring all these experiences and contacts for the mission of the local and universal Church to promote peace and mutual understanding between religions—without compromising our Catholic faith,” he said.

Promoting Trust Amid Global Tensions
Father Michael sees building mutual trust among religious leaders as a key contribution of his role, especially amid rising global conflicts. Through Sammelan: Building Bridges, an interreligious newsletter, he and his team foster dialogue on multiple levels—daily life, joint action, theological exchange, and shared spiritual experiences.

He noted that interreligious dialogue is also a response to shared global challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation, and humanitarian needs. “These shared concerns create opportunities to work together and build goodwill,” he explained.

Faithful and Open
Addressing Asian Catholics, Father Michael emphasized the need to be deeply rooted in faith while remaining open to the goodness in other religions.

“We can never compromise our faith in the context of religious pluralism, but we must engage in the Dialogue of Life and Action to build peace and harmony,” he said.

As an SVD missionary, he draws on the congregation’s tradition of cultural and religious engagement.

“Our Society’s anthropological foundation helps us to dialogue effectively with cultures and religions. As SVDs, we can make a unique contribution to the universal Church,” he affirmed.