“Sixty years ago”, with the publication of Nostra aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian Religions, “a seed of hope for interreligious dialogue was planted,” Pope Leo XIV said on Tuesday evening. “Today, your presence bears witness that this seed has grown into a mighty tree, its branches reaching far and wide, offering shelter and bearing the rich fruits of understanding, friendship, cooperation and peace.”

The Holy Father was addressing his remarks to representatives of world religions, members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, and Vatican and Church officials committed to interreligious dialogue, who had gathered in the Paul VI Hall to celebrate the anniversary of the Council’s historic Declaration.
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Vatican II’s Declaration Nostra Aetate does not delve into Christological understanding in a direct way. But through its affirmations of continued covenantal inclusion on the part of Jews and Judaism, it undercuts a central base for classical Christianity. How can the restored covenantal inclusion for Jews be proclaimed side-by-side with the longstanding belief in Christ’s salvific work?

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In recent years we have witnessed a movement in scholarly circles to reorient the image of Paul. That effort has led to a focus on the compatibility of Pauline teaching with the tenets of Second Temple Judaism. Hence, any Christology rooted simplistically in a “law-gospel” or “flesh-spirit” dichotomy can no longer stand the test of scholarly inquiry relative to Paul. While the new scholarship may present Pauline teachings on the significance of Jesus the Christ with different shadings, there is a building consensus that earlier portrayals of Paul’s vision in this regard have seriously distorted his intent.
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Rabbi David Seed and Catholic Biblical scholar Murray Watson are friends and colleagues. They are also members of the Christian-Jewish Dialogue of Toronto [CJDT], one of Canada’s oldest interfaith organizations, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Over the course of three weeks in late September and early October (which included the Jewish High Holy Days), the two friends exchanged messages in a back-and-forth conversation about the significance of the upcoming 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate. The ground-breaking Vatican II declaration on non-Christian religions was approved by Pope Paul VI and more than 2200 bishops on October 28, 1965. The document that eventually became Nostra Aetate started out as a document about Catholic teaching on Jews and Judaism. In its final form, kept its special place for Judaism and the Jewish people, denouncing antisemitism and violence against Jews, stressing the many areas of commonality between Jews and Christians, and summoning Catholics to engage in learning, dialogue, and cooperation with the Jewish community. It is the shortest of Vatican II’s 16 documents, but one of the most theologically significant; it has been the catalyst for a dramatic transformation in Catholic-Jewish relations, and has helped to inspire similar documents from other Christian communities.
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Among his first messages, Pope Leo XIV expressed his intention to strengthen the Catholic Church’s ties with the Jewish community.

“Trusting in the assistance of the Almighty, I pledge to continue and strengthen the church’s dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council’s declaration ‘Nostra Aetate,'” the pope wrote in a message to Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee (AJC).

Promulgated 60 years ago, “Nostra Aetate” affirmed the Catholic Church’s spiritual kinship with the Jewish people and condemned all forms of anti-Semitism.
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February is a special month to recognize and celebrate the many efforts made in communities all across Canada to promote healthy and active interreligious relationships.

For the past 15 years, the United Nations has designated February 1-7 as World Interfaith Harmony Week, dedicated to spreading “the message of harmony and tolerance among the followers of all the world’s religions, faiths and beliefs.” It adheres, in the broadest possible terms, to the principles of “Love of God (or the Good)” and “Love of Neighbour.”

In my own city, as in many Canadian cities, World Interfaith Harmony Week is marked by a variety of activities including open house events at churches, temples, mosques, and synagogues; educational and dialogue events; concerts and spoken word events; and of course prayer events led by and involving different religious communities. It is a beautiful weeklong celebration of local religious diversity, and an annual reminder and recommitment within each religious community, of the importance of supporting one another and working together for the common good.

While the Catholic Church does not officially mark World Interfaith Harmony Week, at least not within the liturgical calendar, many Catholics – from the popes on down – are actively engaged in promoting interreligious connections and activities all around the world. Indeed, it is not an exaggeration to identify the Catholic Church today as a leader in the field of interreligious relations.
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