At the headquarters of the Heschel Center at the Catholic University of Lublin, on Spokojna Street, in the room where German Nazis planned and coordinated the extermination of approximately two million Jews during Operation Reinhardt, Bishop Antonio Staglianò, president of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, met with the rector of the Catholic University of Lublin, Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski, and university staff.
The rector of KUL, Rev. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski, recalled that October this year marked three years since he established the J. A. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations. During this time, the center has carried out many activities that have been recognized internationally. “These include youth exchanges between Poland and the US, conferences, book publications, exhibitions, and film materials,” said Prof. Kalinowski. He also emphasized that the Heschel Center aims to build relationships based on science, education, culture, and religion.
From this came the commemorative lecture by Bishop Antonio Staglianò, president of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, who, on the occasion of his visit to the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, prepared a speech devoted to reflecting on the significance of the conciliar declaration on the Church's attitude toward non-Christian religions — “Nostra Aetate after 60 years. A prophetic covenant for our troubled times.”
This document marked the beginning of the Catholic Church's path toward reconciliation with the Jewish people—a path strewn with the ashes of the Holocaust and centuries of mutual prejudice.
“Nostra Aetate is not only a historical declaration, but an existential test for our present day,” the bishop noted. He also recalled historical gestures, such as St. John Paul II’s visit to the Roman synagogue in 1986 and the publication of the document “For God’s Gifts and Call Are Irrevocable” in 2015, which continued the line of interreligious dialogue. However, as he pointed out, the contemporary world, marked by armed conflicts, aggressive nationalism, and a crisis of humanity, raises the question today: what is the significance of the message of Nostra Aetate for our times?