[Computer translation from Italian. Lightly edited.]
Dear Rabbi Marans,
Distinguished Members of the American Jewish Committee,
I am pleased to welcome you to the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Your visit enriches a friendship built on the foundations of patient efforts and mutual trust. I thank you, Rabbi Marans, for your commitment to dialogue with the Holy See and with the Catholic communities in the United States. It is also thanks to his determination that this meeting can take place today.
Our relationship goes back over a century. As early as December 30, 1915, Louis Marschall, head of the American Jewish Committee, sent a letter to Pope Benedict XV, asking him to use his moral authority to put an end to the violent persecution suffered by Jews in Europe.
In reply in the name of His Holiness, on 9 February 1916 my predecessor, Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Secretary of State, stated:
"The Supreme Pontiff [...] considers all men as brothers and teaches them to love one another; he will not cease to inculcate the observance, among individuals as well as between nations, of the principles of natural law and to reprove any violation of them. This right should be observed and respected for the children of Israel as it should be for all men, since it would not be in conformity with justice and religion itself to derogate from it merely on account of a difference of religious faith."
Sixty-one years after the promulgation of the Second Vatican Council's Declaration Nostra Aetate, rightly considered a milestone in the dialogue between Jews and Christians, your visit to the Vatican today is a tangible demonstration that what the Church proclaimed then can in fact be put into practice:
"Since the spiritual patrimony common to Christians and Jews is therefore so great, this sacred Council wishes to promote and recommend mutual knowledge and esteem among them, which are obtained above all through biblical and theological studies and through fraternal dialogue."
The fraternal dialogue envisioned by the Declaration is reflected in the quality of the channels of communication established between the Holy See and the American Jewish Committee, which consist not only of the exchange of letters, but consist above all of the many personal relationships that have developed over the years. I would like to mention in particular the fraternal relationship between Cardinal Augustin Bea and Abraham Joshua Heschel, from which valuable theological contributions were born, drawing inspiration from the Second Vatican Council. It is good to see that theology can emerge from the flourishing of human relationships.
In the spirit of this friendship, therefore, allow me to reiterate once again unambiguously the Holy See's firm rejection of anti-Semitism in all its forms. Jews must be able to live, worship and educate their children without fear. The memory of the Holocaust places on all of us the lasting responsibility to fight against prejudice, distortion of facts and indifference.
The same Declaration Nostra Aetate contains the definition that the Catholic Church gives of anti-Semitism:
"The Church, moreover, which abhors all persecutions against any man, mindful of the patrimony which she has in common with the Jews, and impelled not by political motives, but by religious evangelical charity, deplores hatred, persecution and all manifestations of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews at all times and by anyone."
This commitment also has a precise diplomatic expression. Article 2 of the Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel binds the two parties in the following terms:
Ҥ1. The Holy See and the State of Israel commit themselves to the necessary collaboration in the fight against all forms of anti-Semitism and all kinds of racism and religious intolerance, and in the promotion of mutual understanding among nations, tolerance between communities and respect for human life and dignity.
§ 2. The Holy See takes this opportunity to reaffirm its condemnation of hatred, persecution and every other manifestation of anti-Semitism, everywhere, at any time and by anyone directed against the Jewish people and individual Jews. In particular, the Holy See deplores attacks on Jews and the desecration of Jewish synagogues and cemeteries, acts that offend the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, particularly when they take place in the same places that witnessed them."
This is the definition of anti-Semitism that the Holy See has adopted and that it considers appropriate to foster relations with Jewish communities throughout the world, because it makes a due distinction between three levels of reflection and dialogue: the political, the religious and the ethnic. Jewish identity, religious faith, and the policies of a government are related issues, but the Holy See is of the opinion that they are not interchangeable and should not be confused. Diplomatic discussion and reasoned criticism of government policies are the basis of international politics and must continue to be possible without being confused with hostility towards a particular group or, indeed, towards a religious faith.
In this regard, it will be important to continue to promote religious dialogue through the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, which has already achieved important results in fostering a deeper theological, biblical, cultural and social understanding, while maintaining a clear distinction between this dialogue and the relationship between States that the Holy See intends to pursue with the State of Israel and with other States.
"A Journey of Hope," the Note recently published by three Dicasteries of the Holy See, invites us to carry on the legacy of Nostra Aetate. It offers a strong invitation that promises to bear much fruit: our communities are called to help younger generations recognize prejudice, understand each other's traditions, and defend the dignity of their neighbors.
Dear friends, thank you for keeping this conversation alive, even when it requires a great deal of effort. May our work deepen trust and give concrete help to those who suffer. May Almighty God bless our communities and grant peace to the Jewish people and to the entire human family.
Thank you.
