Vatican Commemorates 40th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate

October 28, 2005 marked the 40th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council's declaration on the Roman Catholic Church's relations with non-Christian religions. Nostra Aetate outlined commonalities between the Church and other world religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism, and called for increased inter-religious discussion. The declaration condemned discrimination and persecution, and specifically denounced anti-Semitism. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on November 7, 2005, recognizing the role of Nostra Aetate in fostering inter-religious dialogue and encouraging the U.S. to lead efforts to oppose anti-Semitism and religious intolerance worldwide.

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Pew Forum Resources

Event Transcript: Pope Benedict XVI and World Affairs

Q&A with Dr. J. Peter Pham: Vatican Foreign Policy in the New Pontificate

Resource Page: Pope Benedict XVI on the Church's Role in Public Life

Vatican Statements and other Church Resources

Nostra Aetate Declaration and Vatican Implementation

Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, Nostra Aetate, Proclaimed by His Holiness Pope Paul VI (October 28, 1965)

Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
The former Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, established by Pope John XXIII, now the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), presented Nostra Aetate to the Second Vatican Council. Cardinal Walter Kasper is the current President of the PCPCU.

Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
In June 1964, Pope Paul VI created the Secretariat for Non Christians, now the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID). Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald is the current President of the PCID. The PCID has a special Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims.

Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews
In October 1974, Pope Paul VI established the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews under the PCPCU. Cardinal Walter Kasper is the current President of the Commission.

Statements on Catholic-Jewish Relations

Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews

Guidelines and Suggestions for Implementing the Conciliar Declaration “Nostra Aetate” (n. 4), Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews (December 1, 1974)

Notes on the Correct Way to Present the Jews and Judaism in Preaching and Catechesis in the Roman Catholic Church, Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews (June 24, 1985)

Address of Pope John Paul II on the Occasion of the Colloquium of the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate (April 19, 1985)

Nostra Aetate: A Milestone, by Msgr. Pier Francesco Fumagalli, Consultor for the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews (November 1997)

We Remember: A Reflection On the Shoah, by Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, former President of the Council for Promoting Christian Unity (March 16, 1998)

The Jewish People and their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible, The Pontifical Biblical Commission (2001)

The Jewish-Christian Dialogue: Foundations, Progress, Difficulties and Perspectives, by Cardinal Walter Kasper (November 19-23, 2001)

Some Reflections on Nostra Aetate, by Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Council for Promoting Christian Unity and President of the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews (2002)

Reflections on Covenant and Mission, by the Consultation of the National Council of Synagogues and the Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (UCCB) (August 12, 2002)

The Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews: A Crucial Endeavour of the Catholic Church, by Cardinal Walter Kasper (November 6, 2002)

Statement of the Most Reverend Antonio Cañizares, Archbishop of Toledo, Head of the Delegation of the Holy See to the OSCE Conference on Anti-Semitism and Other Forms of Intolerance (June 8, 2005)

Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to a Delegation of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations (June 9, 2005)

Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to the Chief Rabbis of Israel (September 15, 2005)

Statements on Catholic-Muslim Relations

Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

Vatican Council and Papal Statements on Islam, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Christian-Muslim Dialogue: A Survey of Recent Developments, by Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald (April 10, 2000)

Christian-Muslim Relations in the United States: Reflections for the Future After Two Decades of Experience, by John Borelli, Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (December 23, 2003)

Audience of His Holiness Benedict XVI to the Representatives of the Churches and Christian Communities and of the Other Non-Christian Religions (April 25, 2005)

Message for the End of Ramadan, by Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald (October 14, 2005)

Statements on Catholic Relations with Other Religions

Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

Message to Buddhists for the Feast of Vesakh 2005, by Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald (May 16, 2005)

Message to the Hindus on the Feast of Diwali 2005, by Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald (October 25, 2005)

News

Blessed Were the Jewish Children (Globe and Mail, 10/29/05)
Op Ed: Forty Years of Improving Catholic-Jewish Relations (RNS, 10/20/05)
Vatican Offers Swap Deal to Regain Site of Last Supper (The Times of London, 10/13/05)
Pope Reaches Out to Israel by Inviting President to Vatican (The Times of London, 10/1/05)
Enchiladas Make Best Milieu for Interreligious Dialogue, Says Priest (Catholic News Service, 9/28/05)
Speakers Say Interreligious Dialogue Changes Faith Communities (Catholic News Service, 9/27/05)
Catholic Church Commemorates 40-year-old Document on Relations with Jews, Muslims (AP, 9/25/05)
40 Years of Progress Between Faiths (LA Times, 9/24/05)
Observances Set for Nostra Aetate Anniversary (Catholic World News, 9/23/05)
Catholics and Jews Use Anniversary to Reflect on Relations (LA Times, 9/22/05)
Israel's Chief Rabbis Urge Pope to Condemn Destruction of Synagogues, Anti-Semitism (AP, 9/15/05)
Visiting German Synagogue, Pope Vows to Ease Tensions (LA Times, 8/20/05)
Pope Meets with World Jewish Leaders, Affirms Commitment to Dialogue (Catholic News Service, 7/9/05)
Soul Searching: Islam's Global Gains Pressure Catholics To Rethink Strategy (WSJ, 4/19/05)
Vatican Is Rethinking Relations with Islam (Wash Post, 4/15/05)
Catholics, Jews and the Work of Reconciliation (NY Times, 9/15/02)
John Paul's Jewish Dilemma (NY Times, 4/26/98)