Parliament of Religions at Chicago
In connection with the World’s Fair held in Chicago in 1893, a Parliament of Religions was organized in that city by the Protestant minister J. H. Barrow. It took place from 11 to 27 September and invited dignitaries from the various religions of the world. Neither Islam nor Anglicanism officially adhered: the American archbishops, after some hesitation, decided to take part and entrusted the organization to Mgr. Keane, rector of the Catholic University of Washington, who also proposed the topics for the lectures (discussion was excluded) for each day of the congress. The proposed themes were as follows for each day: God, man, religion—that is, the relationship between God and man; the various religions and their comparative study; the sacred scriptures; and then the relationships of religion to the family, society, social problems, the prospects for Christian reunion, etc.
The aim of the Parliament, according to C. C. Bonney, director of the Exposition, was to be understood as the union of all religions against irreligion.
In attendance at the congress, in addition to Catholics, were Orthodox, Protestants of various denominations, Jews, and then Buddhists, Theosophists, Confucians, Taoists, Parsees, all in their sacred vestments.
The session opened with the recitation of the Pater noster led by Cardinal Gibbons and followed by all present. In the various sittings, naturally apologetic in tone, the various beliefs were expounded, though with the shared concern to highlight more the moral-unifying element than the doctrinal one that would distinguish the various beliefs. Separate sessions were held for the detailed exposition of the various faiths.
Mgr. Keane summarized the results of the “Parliament” as follows: 1) the comparison of religions leads to the affirmation of monotheism; 2) the effort toward the unity of the world, both logically and historically, tends toward the historical person of Jesus Christ; 3) His Church must not be merely a federation of distinct bodies, but an organic unity, the true mystical body of Him.
The “Parliament of Religions” in Chicago did not— as indeed was to be expected— help to unify ideas or clarify special points of view in the history of religions; but it did serve to accentuate the desire for Christian unity, above all promoting the union of all English-speaking Protestant churches. It also proposed the establishment of various committees to ensure the periodicity of such meetings, which were indeed held, although Leo XIII, in a letter to the Apostolic Delegate, advised Catholics to gather separately or at least to attend such meetings only as observers.