Oct. 28 marks 60 years since the Roman Catholic Church issued Nostra Aetate, the groundbreaking declaration that rejected collective Jewish responsibility in the death of Jesus.
It is no exaggeration to say that Catholic-Jewish relations have been indelibly transformed for the better since Nostra Aetate changed the course of that relationship.
For the better part of two millennia, Christianity portrayed Jews as Christ-killers. That maxim contributed to much of the hate and violence directed at Jews. In contrast, Nostra Aetate told the faithful that Jews must not be "presented as rejected or accursed by God," and reminded Catholics that Jesus was born, raised, taught and died as a Jew.
Read Full Article »