Nostra AetateThe Declaration of Inter-Religious Dialogue

Vatican II

• Called by Pope John XXIII• Gathering of 2000-2500 bishops • Renew and update the Church

His Holiness, Pope John XXIII

Results

• 16 Major documents• Outlining new and updated positions of

the Church on various topics• Nostra Aetate dealt with other Religions• Up to the Present, largely defines the

Church’s position

Are Non-Catholics Saved?

• Extra Ecclisiam Nulla Salus• St. Cyprian of Carthage• 1492, discovery of the New World• Argument settled during Vatican II• Karl Rahner

Chapter 1: The Community

• Community of all peoples and origin in God • Final goal of all peoples is God • Various religions answers

unsolvable questions about human condition • Thesis: Church Rejects nothing that

is true in other Religions

Chapter 2: Eastern Religions

• Hinduism contemplates the Divine• Buddhism seeks liberation from suffering• The Church, through dialogue, seeks to

promote these good things

Chapter 3: Islam

• Recognizes God• Acknowledges Abraham, Mary, and

Jesus• Move beyond bad history between

Islam and Christianity

Chapter 4: Judaism

• Church’s roots in Judaism• Apostles and Mary were Jewish• Not all Jews held accountable for

Christ’s death

The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

Chapter 5: Called to Love All

• Cannot Call to God, unless we love all• Examples of Peter and Paul

Pope Francis and Cardinal Bertone visit tomb of St. Peter, where his bones are buried.

Why is Nostra Aetate Useful for World Religions?• Clarify that World Religions is consistent

with Catholic Faith• Provide a framework to approach course

content in

The Genesis of Nostra Aetate

“I am Joseph, Your Brother”

Pope Pius XII

• Pope from 1939-1958• Accused of being anti-Semitic• Accusations false, but none-the-less, created

impression Church was anti-Jewish• Catholics had blamed Jews for centuries for killing

Christ• Prayed for Jews on Good Friday

Good Friday Prayer for Jews, 1955

• Let us pray also for the faithless Jews: that almighty God may remove the veil from their hearts; so that they too may acknowledge Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us pray. Let us kneel. [pause for silent prayer] Arise. Almighty and eternal God, who dost not exclude from thy mercy even Jewish faithlessness: hear our prayers, which we offer for the blindness of that people; that acknowledging the light of thy Truth, which is Christ, they may be delivered from their darkness. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen

Good Friday Prayer for the Jews….Revised• Let us pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God,

that they may continue to grow in the love of his name and in faithfulness to his covenant. (Prayer in silence.) Almighty and eternal God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity. Listen to your Church as we pray that the people you first made your own may arrive at the fullness of redemption. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Relationships with Non-Christians

• At Vatican II, this issue was one of the most controversial• Implications of the Arab world• Anti-Jewish statements in John’s Gospel

Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity • Created by Pope John XXIII• Led by Cardinal Bea• Vague mandate• Ecumenical Dialogue

His Eminence, Cardinal Bea, President for the Secretariat for

Promoting Christian Unity

Cardinal Bea meeting with Jewish Rabbi

Second Mandate: Interreligious Dialogue• November 1960• Second task: work on improving Jewish-

Catholic relations • Had some idea that this was leading up to

a Church council

Jules Isaac

Two trends in the Church

• Anti-Jewish• Biblical – Faithful to historical Christ