Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV marked on October 28 the 60th anniversary of the publication of Nostra Aetate, the historic document of the Second Vatican Council that redefined the Catholic Church’s relationship with the Jewish people. During celebrations in Rome, the pontiff reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to interreligious dialogue and condemned antisemitism amid growing global tensions fueled by the Israel–Hamas war in Gaza.
The commemorations took place in two parts: first, the Pope joined leaders from more than a dozen religious traditions at the Colosseum in a joint appeal for peace. Later that evening, he presided over a Vatican event dedicated to reflecting on Nostra Aetate (Latin for “In Our Time”).
Published in 1965, the document marked a historic turning point by explicitly rejecting antisemitism and repudiating the ancient charge of “deicide,” which collectively blamed Jews for the death of Christ — an idea that for centuries fueled persecution and prejudice. At the time, the Church acknowledged the role that traditional Christian teachings had played in creating an environment that made the Holocaust possible.
In his address, Leo XIV emphasized that Nostra Aetate “takes a firm stand against all forms of antisemitism” and remains deeply relevant today. Through this celebration, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the central message of Nostra Aetate: that true dialogue among religions arises from mutual recognition and a shared commitment to peace, “especially when hatred and violence seek to divide us.”
