Contemplatives in Dialogue (CID) is an organisation of Buddhist, Benedictine, Secular Humanist and Franciscan contemplatives, deeply committed to fostering intermonastic and transdenominational dialogue at the level of spiritual practice and experience between contemplative monastics of diverse spiritual and religious traditions.

Inspired by the groundbreaking work of the North American Benedictine and Cisterian Monasteries, whose "Monastic Interreligious Dialogue" program has led the way for monastics of various religious and spiritual traditions, the work of the CID seeks to continue those efforts among segments of society that are not always welcomed by the Roman Catholic hierarchy, including those Catholic monastics and religious who are part of various autocephalic jurisdictions, and those which reject the intolerance, homophobia, and gender-bias of the Roman Catholic tradition.

The CID was developed in response to a growing concern that the work of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue was often impeded by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, which has become increasingly conservative over the past three decades, under the leadership of the present and predecedant pontiffs.

The CID is co-sponsored by the Contemplative Order of Compassion and by the North American Old Catholic Church. It's co-chairs include Ven. Kevin Crowell from the Contemplative Monks of the Eightfold Path and The Reverend Mother Meredith Moises of the North American Old Catholic Church.

The mission of the CID is to provide contemplatives and monastics from various spiritual traditions, including non-theistic (secular humanist) traditions, which promotes the unity of the human family and mutual understanding among various spiritual traditions.

A broadening of perspectives has accompanied this organic development of dialogue between two social justice focused communities. This organic change of perspective led to the idea that monastic interreligious dialogue can also mean engaging in dialogue “as monastics”—that is to say, as people searching for meaning — with other seekers, no matter what their status or their religion.

As a result, we became Contemplatives in Dialogue, while hoping to maintain filial association with the pioneering and courageous men and women of the Benedictine and Tibetan Buddhist communities, who established Monastic interreligious Dialogue so many years ago.

Contemplatives in Dialogue is committed to creating an environment in which people of all spiritual traditions and beliefs are not only valued and included, but which challenges institutional religions to examine ways in which they may have intentionally or unintentionally marginalised, disrespected, or incited violence toward.

We affirm the words from a Charter for Compassion video, "...to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain IS ILLEGITIMATE..." and encourage those mainstream denominations, particularly the leadership of the Roman Catholic and Mormon traditions, to consider embracing this philosophy, and thereby putting an end to the suffering they cause in the world today.