Pope Leo XIV has addressed Jewish communities around the world with a promise to strengthen dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Jewish people. The message comes in the context of the deterioration of relations between the Vatican and Israel caused by the war in the Middle East, Reuters reports, BTA reports.
The first pope born in the United States sent a letter to Rabbi Noam Marans, head of the Commission on Interfaith Relations at the American Jewish Committee. Last night, the letter was also published on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
“Believing in the help of the Almighty, I promise to continue and strengthen the dialogue and cooperation of the Church with the Jewish people in the spirit of Nostra Aetate“, Leo XIV wrote.
Nostra Aetate (“In Our Age“) is a key document of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which rejected the concept of collective guilt of the Jews for the death of Jesus and laid the foundations for a respectful and open dialogue with non-Christian religions. The document marks a historic turning point in the millennia-long, often tense relationship between Catholics and Jews.
The dialogue that began with the declaration led to landmark moments in the history of the Church, including Pope John Paul II's visit to the Roman synagogue in 1986, where he called Jews "our elder brothers." In 1993, the Vatican and Israel signed a "fundamental agreement" and in 1994 established formal diplomatic relations.
A Vatican source told Reuters that Rabbi Marans would attend the liturgy for the enthronement of Pope Leo XIV this Sunday. The event is expected to bring together more than a dozen Jewish leaders from different countries. It has not yet been confirmed whether a representative of the Israeli government will attend the ceremony.
Relations between the Vatican and Israel have been strained during the pontificate of the late Pope Francis, who was often accused of anti-Semitism. Following the attack by “Hamas“ on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage, Israel launched a large-scale military offensive in the Gaza Strip. According to local authorities, the death toll of Palestinians exceeds 52,000.
In response to the events, Pope Francis said in November 2023 that the international community should investigate whether Israel's actions in Gaza did not constitute genocide - a statement that has drawn serious criticism from Israel.