SAN DIEGO — A landmark document that reshaped Catholic-Jewish relations is now 60 years old.
The anniversary of the promulgation of the “Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions,” also known as “Nostra Aetate” (In Our Age), has provided an opportunity to reflect on the past and look toward the future.
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) San Diego and the University of San Diego are coming together to present “Listening Our Way Forward: ‘Nostra Aetate’ at 60 Years.”
The event will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6, in the USD Ministry Center. It will feature Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC director of interreligious affairs, in conversation with Mary Doak, Ph.D., and Aaron Gross, Ph.D., professors in USD’s Department of Theology and Religious Studies.
“This event is open to anyone who wishes to come together, learn, and celebrate the legacy of ‘Nostra Aetate,’” said AJC San Diego Regional Director Sara E. Brown, Ph.D.
Promulgated on Oct. 28, 1965, “Nostra Aetate” is one of the 16 documents approved by the Second Vatican Council. It taught that the Catholic Church “rejects nothing that is true and holy” in non-Christian religions, noting that they “often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men,” even while “the fullness of religious life” can only be found in Jesus.
The document also condemns anti-Jewish bigotry, and it declares that the Church “regards with esteem” the Muslims, who “adore the one God” and “take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees.”
“‘Nostra Aetate’ … established a framework for interreligious dialogue and collaboration with other faith groups,” said Father Bradley Easterbrooks, secretary of the diocesan Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. “The decree touches on our relations with members of other faiths, both polytheistic and monotheistic. The text acknowledges the equal dignity of all human beings as created by God and situates our relationship with other faith groups in terms of respect and collaboration.”
Father Easterbrooks said the document made an “essential contribution to Jewish-Catholic relations.”
“Throughout history, some members of the Church have misrepresented the Gospel in order to wrongfully advance antisemitism,” he said. “As a result of this decree, the Catholic Church now authoritatively teaches that antisemitism is always wrong. Moreover, as Catholics, we affirm that the promises that God made to the Jewish people are irrevocable, meaning they are always valid at all times.”
Brown said, “‘Nostra Aetate’ teaches that Jews are not collectively responsible for the death of Jesus. Jews are not to be portrayed as accursed. Antisemitism is unequivocally forbidden.”
She shared that Rabbi Marans, in an address at Georgetown University in September, described the document as “a big deal, a game-changer.”
“I think one of the most beautiful and straightforward ways the San Diego Catholic community can put ‘Nostra Aetate’ to practice,” said Brown, “is to encounter Jews and Judaism: Reach out, have an experience, host members of the Jewish community in your spaces, join the San Diego Jewish community in our spaces.”
Father Easterbrooks said, “All Catholics should get to know ‘Nostra Aetate,’ because it helps us understand our faith in the context of the world around us. It also compels us to take action for peace and justice.”
For more information about “Listening Our Way Forward,” Nov. 6, email sandiego@ajc.org.
