Groundbreaking document redefined Catholic-Jewish relations 60 years ago
What began with the simplicity and courage of pastoral justice more than six decades ago has helped reshape interreligious relationships between the Catholic and Jewish faiths.
The 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate (In Our Time), a groundbreaking document of the Second Vatican Council which profoundly changed 20 centuries of Catholic-Jewish relations, was commemorated with a special two-day symposium Dec. 6, 2025, at Ave Maria University, and Dec. 7 at the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples. More than 300 attended the two symposium events which were sponsored by the Diocese of Venice, the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County, the Jewish Federation of Great Naples and Ave Maria University.
The symposium included a panel of distinguished theologians, professors and clerics who discussed the impact of the historic document that, among other things, repudiated anti-Semitism and the charge that Jews were guilty for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Nostra Aetate also calls for interfaith dialogue to promote a better understanding of each other’s faith, emphasizes the spiritual connection of humanity, promotes a mutual respect among all religions, and rejects all forms of discrimination and antisemitism.
“Nostra Aetate stands as a profound revelation within the Catholic Church,” Bishop Frank J. Dewane said. “It reaffirmed a truth rooted deeply in Sacred Scripture – that the spiritual bond between Christians and the Jewish people is a shared heritage given by the God of Abraham, the God of Issac, the God of Jacob.”
Bishop Dewane said the Vatican document emphasized clearly that the covenant God established with the Jewish people endures and that the Church rejects all forms of hatred including antisemitism as contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Over the past six decades we have witnessed how these teachings have taken root – in dialogue, in friendship and in many acts of collaboration for peace, justice and the common good, and where further challenges are to be found,” Bishop Dewane continued. “These fruits do not come by chance, but through the dedicated work of many individuals.”
The Bishop commended the organizers of the symposium for bringing together such a distinguished panel, each of whom brought a unique perspective, as we look at the past 60 years of progress in Catholic-Jewish relations with gratitude while also looking forward with purpose “to strengthen understanding, to promote reconciliation where needed and to bear witness together to the dignity of every human person created in the image and likeness of God.”
Bishop Dewane later spoke as part of the panel to address the path taken by United States Catholics in the wake of Nostra Aetate, in the context of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the influence and courageous role taken by Church leaders to ensure the relations between the two faiths move forward with trust after centuries of division.
Panelists for the symposium included Bishop Dewane; Dr. Matthew Tappie, Director of the St. Leo University Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies; Rabbi James Rudin, retired Director of Interfaith Relations for the American Jewish Committee; Rabbi Mark Gross, Jewish Congregation of Marco Island; Attorney Martin Kaplan; Theology Professor T. Adam Van Wart, Ave Maria University; Rabbi Stephen Fuchs, Temple Beth Shalom in Vero Beach; and joining virtually was Dr. Robert Ventresca, Interim President, King’s University College, London, Ontario, Canada.
The panelists discussed the immediate and long-lasting impacts of Nostra Aetate offering both personal experiences and broader context on the importance of the changes in the interreligious relations between Catholics and the Jewish people.
Among the attendees at the Ave Maria University symposium were many students, some of whom attended as part of a course assignment while others were curious to learn more.
Olivia Haddley, a junior, was in awe of how profoundly Nostra Aetate changed Catholic-Jewish relations. “I grew up in the wake of that document, so I didn’t realize what Catholics thought of the Jewish people or how divided they were. We share a history of the Old Testament, that means something.”
