This year marks the 60th anniversary of a landmark document called Nostra Aetate (translates as In Our Time) which was the result of Jewish and Catholic collaboration during the Second Vatican Council that ran from 1962 to 1965. It fundamentally changed the official Roman Catholic position on Judaism and spoke out openly against antisemitism.
The Second Vatican Council was called by Pope John XXIII shortly after he was elected in 1959 — it was a shock to Church hierarchy because he was widely expected to not make any major waves but instead, he called the first ecumenical council in nearly 100 years. And it was from that three-year council the revolutionary Nostra Aetate document was issued.
Now, 60 years later, the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County along with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Naples and Ave Maria University are presenting a two-day symposium bringing together a panel of distinguished theologians and professors from across North America to discuss the landmark document that changed 20 centuries of Catholic-Jewish relations – and it’s importance in our time.
Nostra Aetate 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.
One of the speakers will be Rabbi James Rudin, he's a prolific author, scholar and retired director of interfaith relations at the American Jewish Committee and played an integral role in building bridges after the adoption of Nostra Aetate by the Second Vatican Council. He’s one of just a handful of rabbis to ever be awarded the Papal Knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, one of the highest honors to be conferred by the Catholic Church. We speak with him and one of the event organizers to learn a bit about Nostra Aetate and preview the symposium.
Click here to learn more about the symposium or to register to attend. It's being on two consecutive days: first at Ave Maria University on Saturday the 6th and the following day at the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples.
Guests:
Rabbi James Rudin, author, scholar and retired director of interfaith relations at the American Jewish Committee who played an integral role in building bridges after the adoption of Nostra Aetate by the Second Vatican Council. He was a member of the American Jewish Committee’s professional staff for thirty-two years, serving as the AJC’s Interreligious Affairs Director. He is currently the AJC’s Senior Interreligious Adviser and a member of the organization’s Board of Governors. He is Distinguished Visiting Professor of Religion and Judaica at Saint Leo University has taught at Florida Gulf Coast University Renaissance Academy.
Marty Gauthier, Co-Chair of the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County (CJD)
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