Pope Leo XIV says dialogue with Jews ‘very close to my heart’
A day after his inauguration ceremony, the pope spoke positively of Nostra Aetate, an official declaration that instituted a less adversarial approach by the church to Judaism
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The newly elected Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is seen for the first time from the Vatican balcony on May 8, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican.
Catholic-Jewish dialogue is “very precious” and must continue, Pope Leo XIV said at an audience with leaders of other religions on Monday, according to Italian news wire ANSA.
“Because of the Jewish roots of Christianity, all Christians have a special relationship with Judaism,” the pope said. “Theological dialogue between Christians and Jews remains always important and is very close to my heart.”
A day after his inauguration ceremony in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV spoke positively of Nostra Aetate, an official declaration made in 1965 that instituted a less adversarial approach by the church to Judaism.
That document, he said, “underlines the greatness of the spiritual heritage common to Christians and Jews, encouraging mutual knowledge and esteem.”
In that context, the new pope spoke of “difficult times, marked by conflicts and misunderstandings.” He was apparently referring to the war in Gaza and his predecessor’s focus on Palestinian suffering and repeated condemnations of Israeli actions, which raised concerns among Jews in Italy and beyond.
Still, he said, “it is necessary to continue with enthusiasm this very precious dialogue of ours.”
Chief Rabbi of Rome Riccardo Di Segni and the American Jewish Committee’s Director of Interreligious Affairs Rabbi Noam Marans, among other Jewish leaders, attended the meeting with the pope.
Marans gave Pope Leo XIV, who is from Chicago, a White Sox hat, which elicited a big smile, according to an AJC spokesperson. The rabbi also gave the pope a copy of the AJC’s Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition, a book about antisemitism.
Pope Leo XIV’s statements come 10 days after he sent a letter to Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee, saying that he “pledge[s] 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.”
Prominent Jewish Italian journalist Maurizio Molinari told Jewish Insider last week that “the key is the reference to Nostra Aetate. He understands that the very base of the dialogue with the Jews was put at risk.”