It is the world's first compendium that gathers all Vatican documents on relations with Judaism in one place. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council document Nostra Aetate, a new scholarly publication has been released: “The Catholic Church and the Jews and Judaism: Documents of the Holy See (1965–2015) and Commentaries.”
The work, edited by Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś and Professor Sławomir Jacek Żurek from the Catholic University of Lublin, was presented during a scientific session at the Higher Theological Seminary in Łódź. The event was organized on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the publication of Nostra aetate.
The Dreams of Nostra aetate
Kard. Grzegorz Ryś, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Łódź and the chairman of the Polish Bishops’ Conference Committee for Dialogue with Judaism, said in an interview with Heschel Center News that he is accompanied by two dreams on the anniversary of the publication of Nostra aetate. “The first dream is a dream of conversion – that we would begin to live the Council in a serious way. (…) Nostra aetate, though the shortest of the declarations, poses one of its strongest challenges,” the cardinal said.
The second dream – as the Archbishop of Łódź added – is the deepening of relations with Judaism. “It’s not only about the shared biblical heritage, but about ensuring that the root is alive. If the root is not alive, it nourishes no one. The living root is Judaism as it lives today,” said Cardinal Ryś.
The hierarch pointed out that the theses of Nostra aetate – that Jews are not an accursed people, do not bear responsibility for the death of Jesus, and that antisemitism is evil – “are today widely shared, but the problem is what concretely follows from them in the lives of believers.”
Antisemitism as Sin, Judaism as Partner
Prof. Sławomir Jacek Żurek of KUL, co-editor of the volume, recalled that the common denominator of these documents is defined by the declaration Nostra aetate itself. “It was a turning point in Christian–Jewish relations. After many years of erroneous interpretations, the Church now emphasizes with full force the place from which it originates – the trunk of ancient Israel,” said the head of the Polish–Jewish Literature Department at KUL.
He added that subsequent documents of the Holy See from recent decades “define the fact that antisemitism is a sin, and that someone who considers themselves a Catholic cannot adopt such an attitude.”
Prof. Żurek pointed out that the document We Remember: Reflections on the Shoah was a breakthrough. It was the first text by the Church to directly refer to the Holocaust. “But many elements are missing from this document. Our comments on these documents are critical in nature. We not only present the content and meaning of these documents, but also try to show the direction for the future. (...) The Church should address the reality of Israel and reflect on the significance of the Holocaust not only historically, but also theologically and ecclesially," noted Prof. Żurek.
According to the scholar from KUL, the most important of the newer documents comes from 2015.
„For the first time, the Holy See emphasized that the Church has no institutional mission toward the Jews. Judaism is an autonomous religion, intended for the chosen people, to lead them to salvation,” Prof. Żurek stressed.
From Distrust to Brotherhood
The publication “The Catholic Church in Relation to the Jews and Judaism” includes documents from the years 1965–2015 – from Paul VI to Francis – along with commentaries by, among others, Fr. Prof. Andrzej Perzyński, Fr. Prof. Mirosław Wróbel, Fr. Prof. Alfred Wierzbicki, and Prof. Sławomir Jacek Żurek.
The publication, as the editors emphasize, shows the Church’s journey from times of distrust to a community of brotherhood and dialogue with Judaism.
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Heschel Center News