On May 8, just days after his election, Pope Leo XIV sent a remarkable signal to the Jewish world: In a personal letter to Rabbi Noam Marans, director of Interreligious Affairs at the American Jewish Committee (AJC), he reaffirmed his “commitment to continue and strengthen the Church’s dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council’s 1965 declaration Nostra Aetate. This message, sent even before his formal inauguration, was more than diplomatic protocol; it was a deliberate gesture of outreach at a time of strained relations.
This letter stands in the tradition of a historic turning point that began with the Nostra Aetate. In this landmark document, the Catholic Church for the first time explicitly rejected the doctrine of collective Jewish guilt for the crucifixion of Jesus. It also emphasized Christianity’s deep spiritual roots in Judaism and called for respectful dialogue, becoming a watershed in the relationship between the two religions. This reevaluation was not only theological but also a moral response to the Holocaust and the need to confront historical guilt, setting the stage for decades of rapprochement.
Since then, milestones such as the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Israel in 1993, Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Israel in 2000, and subsequent visits by his successors have deepened the relationship.
Rocky path to mutual understanding
Yet the path to mutual understanding has not been smooth. Tensions have persisted, notably during the pontificate of pope Francis, whose public criticism of Israel’s actions during the 2023 Gaza conflict was widely perceived in Jerusalem and among Jewish communities as unbalanced and insensitive.
Against this backdrop, the absence of a senior Israeli representative at the funeral of pope Francis was widely interpreted as a diplomatic protest, particularly in response to the late pope’s critical statements about Israel’s actions during the Gaza war. This perceived act of silent dissent sent a troubling signal not only to the Vatican but also to the broader Christian world, for whom pope Francis was a significant intellectual and spiritual figure. While the Vatican did not officially comment, observers noted a “palpable disappointment” in church circles.
Pope Leo XIV’s letter, therefore, carries special and particular significance. It is both an act of continuity and a sign of renewal. “In these challenging times,” Leo XIV wrote to Rabbi Marans, “we as faith communities are especially called to build bridges rather than erect walls. Our shared heritage obliges us to mutual respect and sincere dialogue.”
The new pope further announced the establishment of a joint commission to develop concrete steps against the global rise in antisemitism-a topic he emphasized is “especially close to his heart.” The invitation to Rabbi Marans to attend the papal inauguration mass underscores this gesture and the pope’s commitment to dialogue.
A particularly notable moment at the inauguration was the participation of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who thanked Pope Leo XIV for his early call to release the hostages and urged him to continue advocating for their immediate return. The two leaders also discussed the importance of renewing interfaith dialogue, and Herzog invited the pope to visit Israel.
POPE LEO XIV brings to the papacy not only a new geographic background – he is the first American to sit on the Chair of Peter – but also a pluralistic outlook. Raised in the United States, a society where religious diversity is a lived reality, he knows interreligious dialogue not as an exception, but as the norm. This perspective could help deepen Jewish-Catholic exchange in an increasingly polarized world – not as an abstract theological exercise, but as a shared mission in combating antisemitism, racism, and religious intolerance.
“Human dignity is indivisible,” Pope Leo XIV stresses. “Whoever denigrates a person because of their religion, origin, or beliefs violates fundamental principles that are sacred to both Christians and Jews.”
This new approach is being closely watched in the Middle East, especially as the Pope has pledged a “balanced yet principled stance” regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The challenges remain: How can we address historical wounds without suppressing them? How can interreligious dialogue have a tangible social impact? And how can the Church credibly act in a world where religion is often seen as a source of division? In other words, how can we together implement the principles of the historic Nostra Aetate declaration for future generations?
In Rome, a signal has been sent, not only to the Jewish world but to all who believe in the power of dialogue. Reconciliation is possible when there is a will to understand.
The hand extended by Pope Leo XIV deserves a response-not only from Jerusalem or New York, but from all parts of a world that today needs interreligious understanding more urgently than ever.
The writer is a retired Israeli diplomat who served as Israel’s ambassador to Hungary and Croatia, following a distinguished career in senior diplomatic and strategic roles.
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