The first American Pope, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, ascended to the papacy on May 8, 2025 after a speedy conclave. Growing up in Chicago, attending Villanova University, and, as a young seminarian under the mentorship of a pioneer in Jewish-Catholic relations, Rev. John T. Pawlikowski, Pope Leo was profoundly influenced by interfaith dialogue. Pope Leo’s papacy is promising for strengthening current Jewish-Catholic relations, and significant to this potential is a letter he sent on the day he was elected the 266th successor to St. Peter, pledging to “strengthen the Catholic Church’s dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people.” Later, in a meeting with religious leaders of all faiths, the Pope went on to declare: “Because of the Jewish roots of Christianity, all Christians have a special relationship with Judaism. Theological dialogue between Christians and Jews remains always important and is very close to my heart.”
With the approach of the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the landmark declaration that transformed Jewish-Catholic relations, Pope Leo XIV's leadership is seen as an opportunity to further the legacy of Pope John Paul I. His American background, coupled with his experiences in Latin America, positions him uniquely to foster understanding and cooperation between the two faiths.
In one of his first official duties as Pope, he sent a letter on May 8 to Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee, conveying his wish for continued positive Catholic-Jewish relations, saying: “Trusting in the assistance of the Almighty, I pledge 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,” read the letter, which was signed “Leo P.P. XIV.”
Written by Pope John Paul I in 1965, Nostra Aetate addressed the Catholic Church’s official stance toward all non-Christian religions. Nostra Aetate also condemns hatred and violence against Jews and Judaism by specifically noting that the Jewish people are not to be held responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. The seminal decree condemned all “hatred, persecutions and displays of antisemitism directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”
