Leo presided over a two-part interfaith commemoration of the anniversary: He first joined religious leaders from over a dozen faith traditions in an appeal for peace at the Colosseum, then presided over an evening event focused on the landmark document at the Vatican.

📜 Nostra Aetate: “In Our Time”

In the groundbreaking text “Nostra Aetate,” Latin for “In Our Time,” the Catholic Church deplored antisemitism in every form and repudiated the “deicide” charge that blamed Jews as a people for Christ’s death.

The idea of Jewish collective guilt for the crucifixion had fueled antisemitism for centuries. The Vatican crafted the document repudiating it as the church reckoned with the role traditional Christian teaching had played in the Holocaust.

Historical Significance of Nostra Aetate

📖 A Revolutionary Document

  • Issued in 1965 during the Second Vatican Council
  • Part of meetings that modernized the Catholic Church
  • Revolutionized the way the Church related to other religions
  • First time Vatican provided theological basis for Jewish roots of Christianity
  • Credited with improving Christian-Jewish relations for six decades

The document itself was issued in 1965, during the Second Vatican Council, the meetings that modernized the Catholic Church and revolutionized the way it related to other religions and the modern world. It has been credited with helping improve relations between Christians and Jews ever since.

Pope Leo XIV’s Commitment to Dialogue

This historic document, therefore, opened our eyes to a simple yet profound principle: dialogue is not a tactic or a tool, but a way of life — a journey of the heart that transforms everyone involved, the one who listens and the one who speaks.
— Pope Leo XIV

In his comments Tuesday night, Leo said the document was historic, the first time the Vatican had provided the theological basis for the Jewish roots of Christianity. He said it “takes a firm stand against all forms of antisemitism” and remained “highly relevant today.”

Rising Antisemitism in Modern Context

⚠️ Surge in Antisemitic Incidents

This year’s anniversary comes amid a surge in antisemitism linked to Israel’s military actions in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

9,354
Antisemitic Incidents in U.S. (2024)
58%
Related to Israel
Record High
Per Anti-Defamation League

In the United States alone, the Anti-Defamation League says the number of antisemitic incidents reached a record high last year, with 58% of the 9,354 incidents related to Israel, notably chants, speeches and signs at rallies protesting Israeli policies.

Vatican-Jewish Relations Under Strain

The war has similarly strained the Vatican’s relations with the Jewish community. Pope Francis repeatedly angered Jewish and Israeli leaders with comments they perceived as drawing a moral equivalence between the Hamas attacks and Israel’s war in Gaza.

📅 Recent Vatican-Israel Tensions

October 7, 2023
Hamas attacks Israel, taking hostages
Following Months
Pope Francis meets with hostage families, calls for their return, but also calls for investigation into whether Israel’s actions constitute genocide
Ongoing Criticism
Francis states Israel’s military response was disproportionate, straining relations with Jewish leaders
May 2025
Pope Leo XIV installed, acknowledges strain in Jewish-Catholic relations
Tuesday
60th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate commemorated

Francis did meet with relatives of hostages taken by Hamas and called repeatedly for them to be returned. But he called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s attacks in Gaza constitute genocide and said Israel’s military response was disproportionate.

Pope Leo XIV’s Acknowledgment

Leo didn’t minimize the strain when he met with Jewish leaders and faith leaders who attended his installation as pope in May. In greeting the Jewish leaders present, he recalled Christians’ special relationship with Jews.

Even in these difficult times, marked by conflicts and misunderstandings, it is necessary to continue the momentum of this precious dialogue of ours.
— Pope Leo XIV, May 2025

Jewish Community Response

✡ Hope for Continued Solidarity

Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee, said Leo’s acknowledgment of the problems was in itself a big step forward. In Rome to mark the anniversary, Marans said he hoped for continued, firm position from the Vatican repudiating antisemitism.

Never in the relationship of Catholics and Jews since ‘Nostra Aetate’ has the Jewish people been more in need of friends who commit themselves to combating antisemitism with every fiber of their being.
— Rabbi Noam Marans, American Jewish Committee
The Catholic Church has one of the largest megaphones available. It has moral suasion that is unparalleled. We hope that they will use all of the tools in their arsenal to double down in that effort.
— Rabbi Noam Marans

Interfaith Commemoration Events

🕊️ Two-Part Celebration

Event 1 – Colosseum Peace Appeal: Pope Leo XIV joined religious leaders from over a dozen faith traditions in a powerful appeal for peace at Rome’s iconic Colosseum.

Event 2 – Vatican Evening Ceremony: The Pope presided over an evening event specifically focused on celebrating the landmark Nostra Aetate document and its lasting impact on Catholic-Jewish relations.

Looking Forward

As the Catholic Church and Jewish communities worldwide face unprecedented challenges from rising antisemitism and complex geopolitical tensions, the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate serves as both a celebration of progress and a call to renewed commitment.

Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis that dialogue is “not a tactic or a tool, but a way of life” reflects the ongoing necessity of interfaith understanding in an increasingly divided world. The Vatican’s moral authority and global platform position it as a crucial voice in the fight against antisemitism and religious hatred.

✟ ✡ Sixty Years of Dialogue, Unity, and Mutual Respect ✟ ✡