The ultra-traditionalist Catholic Bishop Richard Williamson, whose denial of the extent of the Holocaust last year created an uproar a year ago, has called the discussions between the Vatican and his Pius Brotherhood a “dialogue of the deaf”. He also shed doubts about the legitimacy of Israel as a state read more »
» German court fines Bishop Williamson for Holocaust denial
» Should the denial of the Holocaust be punishable under the law? 
» Swedish TV interview in which Bishop Williamson denies the Holocaust 
A court in Germany has summoned the Catholic Bishop Richard Williamson to attend a trial in April where he is to face charges of incitement for his belittling of the Holocaust, which is a crime in Germany. read more »
» Bishop Williamson refuses to pay fine for Holocaust denial
» German court fines Bishop Williamson for Holocaust denial
» Should the denial of the Holocaust be punishable under the law?
» Swedish TV interview in which Bishop Williamson denies the Holocaust
During his highly publicized visit to Rome’s Great Synagogue, Pope Benedict XVI has said the Vatican had “provided assistance” to Jews in a “hidden and discreet way” during the Holocaust, thus indirectly defending his predecessor Pius XII. read more »
» Documents suggest Pope Pius XII more concerned about Soviets than Nazis
» Pope Benedict XVI visits Rome Synagogue
» Speech by Pope Benedict XVI during visit to Rome Synagogue
» Speech by Pope Benedict XVI during visit to Rome Synagogue [Orginal Italian Language]
» Speech by Chief Rabbi Di Segni during visit of Pope to Rome Synagogue
» Op-Ed: Ronald Lauder calls on Pope Benedict XVI to clarify Vatican's stance on Pius XII
» What is your view on the necessity of inter-faith dialogue?
WJC President Ronald S. Lauder has called on the Vatican to dispel doubts about role of war-time Pope Pius XII by opening all archives to international researchers. Pope Benedict recalled a visit to Yad Vashem earlier this year. read more »
» Op-Ed: Ronald Lauder calls on Pope Benedict XVI to clarify Vatican's stance on Pius XII
» Former Israeli chief rabbi urges Pope Benedict to stop Pius XII beatification
» Holocaust survivors want chief rabbi to raise Pius XII beatification with Pope Benedict
» Note concerning decree on the heroic virtues of Pius XII - by the Vatican
Italian historians have unearthed documents kept in the British National Archives which suggest that wartime Pope Pius XII was not preoccupied with the Holocaust, but focused on alleged Soviet atrocities against Catholic civilians in eastern Europe. read more »
The most challenging task for Jews over the next decade is to improve their relations with Muslims, Rabbi Marc Schneier, the chairman of the World Jewish Congress United States and head of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, has said. read more »
A group of Islamic extremists has burst into a mosque near Paris during a prayer service and threatened to kill the local Imam, Hassen Chalghoumi, because of his efforts to improve relations between Jews and Muslims. read more »
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council expressed concern about the government's decision to lift its ban on relations with the Muslim Council of Britain, the UK's largest Muslim organization. read more »
The ultra-traditionalist Catholic Bishop Richard Williamson, whose denial of the extent of the Holocaust last year created an uproar a year ago, has called the discussions between the Vatican and his Pius Brotherhood a “dialogue of the deaf”. He also shed doubts about the legitimacy of Israel as a state read more »
During his highly publicized visit to Rome’s Great Synagogue, Pope Benedict XVI has said the Vatican had “provided assistance” to Jews in a “hidden and discreet way” during the Holocaust, thus indirectly defending his predecessor Pius XII. read more »
In a contribution for the leading Italian newspaper ‘Corriere della Sera’ on the eve of Pope Benedict’s visit to the Rome synagogue, the president of the World Jewish Congress calls on the Catholic pontiff to clarify the Vatican’s stance on the controversial beatification of Pope Pius XII. read more »
Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit to the Rome synagogue will take place in a "new atmosphere" in relations between Catholics and Jews, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the Vatican official in charge of religious relations with Judaism, has said. read more »
Ahead of Pope Benedict’s Rome synagogue visit on Sunday, Yad Vashem chairman and former Israeli Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau has urged the Vatican to halt moves to beatify the controversial wartime Pope Pius XII. read more »
Samuel Hadas, Israel’s first ambassador to the Vatican and a pioneer of Jewish-Christian dialogue, has died in Jerusalem. read more »
Shoah survivors have asked Rome's Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni to tell Pope Benedict of their distress at the decision to advance wartime Pope Pius XII’ when Benedict visits Rome’s main synagogue on Sunday. read more »
More than 40% of Israeli Jews are opposed to banning the minarets on mosques, according to a poll conducted for the New York-based Foundation of Ethnic Understanding. read more »
The Vatican has defended the planned beatification of the late Pope Pius XII against criticism. read more »
Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger has said the beatification of war-time Pope Pius XII would make it difficult to continue with Catholic-Jewish interfaith dialogue. read more »
WJC President Ronald S. Lauder has called on the Vatican to dispel doubts about role of war-time Pope Pius XII by opening all archives to international researchers. Pope Benedict recalled a visit to Yad Vashem earlier this year. read more »
Pope Benedict XVI has moved his controversial war-time predecessor, Pius XII, a step closer to sainthood, declaring that Pius had displayed "heroic virtues" throughout his life. read more »
Political leaders around the world have condemned the decision by Swiss voters to ban the construction of minarets. read more »
Pope Benedict XVI has met at the Vatican with Holocaust survivor Cäcilie Peiser, the founder of the association Child Survivors Germany. read more »
A hundred mosques and synagogues throughout North America and Europe have taken part in the second edition of twinning, an inter-faith initiative launched by the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and supported by the World Jewish Congress. read more »
At the 7th edition of the Academic Consultation of Orthodox Christianity and Judaism in Greece, participants discussed how to meet the ‘Ethical Challenges and Religious Perspectives’ in a world affected by crisis. read more »
American Jews and Muslims can defeat a common enemy by working together. That common enemy is prejudice - and if one needed statistical evidence for it, stark proof was revealed this week. read more »
In diplomatic terms, my tenure as the third ambassador of Israel to the Holy See, commencing September 2000, was paradoxical—and, I believe, paradigmatic. Coming in the wake of Pope John Paul II’s unforgettable visit to Israel in March 2000, it started out with high, perhaps exaggerated, diplomatic and political expectations on Israel’s part. download »
On 27 April 1950 the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany at its session in Berlin-Weissensee passed a "Statement on the Guilt against Israel" in which, under the heading of Romans 11:32. read more »
Vatican decree signed by Benedict XVI on the declaration of venerability 17 people, including Pius XII. The declaration of venerability starts the process of beatification of individuals. read more »
This article explores the relations between the Catholic Church and the Jews from the middle of the previous century until the present day. read more »
Declaration on the relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions -Nostra Aetate Pproclaimed by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965. read more »
The Declaration Nostra Aetate, issued by the Second Vatican Council on 28 October 1965, "On the Relationship of the Church to non-Christian Religions" (no. 4), marks an important milestone in the history of Jewish-Christian relations. read more »
International Jewish Catholic Liaison Committee between Holy See and International Council of Interreligious Dialogue read more »
Representatives of the International Jewish Committee on Inter-religious Consultations and the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations With the Jews met in Prague Sept. 3-6. This was the 13th meeting of the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee. read more »
Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews. read more »
The SIDIC Rome Documentation Center makes available to the public a large collection of documents concerning Jewish-Christian relations. read more »
The ICCJ promotes understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews based on respect for each other's identity and integrity. read more »
Statement issued by the World Conference on Dialogue, organized by the Makkah-based Muslim World League in Madrid, Spain under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, July 16-18, 2008. read more »
The Foundation is a national non-profit dedicated to strengthening relations between ethnic communities. read more »
The Three Faiths Forum has worked to encourage dialogue and confront prejudice for over ten years. Their objective is to build lasting relationships between people of different faiths, cultures and communities. read more »
Christian Faiths
The WJC has well established relations with the Catholic Church, and has played a leading role, both directly and within the framework of ICJIC, in an ongoing dialogue over many decades. This has produced positive results in many cases. The recently adapted Latin text of the Good Friday prayer is a contentious issue. Ongoing discussions to resolve the issue should not impede this important liaison.
Progress, however, is slow with regard to the Orthodox and Protestant Churches. The decentralised nature of these churches and certain political issues related to the Middle East conflict are obstacles to advancement.
Dialogue with the other Christian churches is an important mechanism for increasing understanding between the faiths and for increasing mutual theological knowledge.
Dialogue must be based on mutual respect for the values of each faith.
Dialogue is the best method of resolving issues of contention, and for improving cooperation on issues of common concern like the subjects of nationalism and religious identity, preventing intolerance, anti-Semitism and xenophobia.
Muslim Faith
Dialogue with representatives of moderate Islam is one of the most important and challenging issues at this time. The increasing gap of understanding between so-called 'Western liberal democracies' and the Islamic word is a recipe for potential civil strife and possible violence.
Discussion and debate between brethren who share a common root will lead to the realisation that shared ideals, aspirations and values far outweigh any differences that may exist.
Extremists represent only a small part of Islam. The vast majority of Muslims are peace-loving people who do not support or wish to engage in terrorist activities.
Whilst combating the threats posed by 'Radical Islam' it is important to embrace the proponents of 'Moderate Islam' and to engage with them in open and constructive dialogue.
Dialogue should not only be limited to a theological debate, but also to exchanges of views on sociological, cultural, diplomatic and political issues.
In July 2008, the Muslim World League held an interfaith meeting to which representatives of many religions were invited. 'The International Conference for Dialogue' was an initiative of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and was a significant step forward in opening the possibility of a dialogue between Abrahamic faiths and with other major religions. The WJC was amongst the Jewish organizations that were represented at the meeting.
All religions, and especially the three Abrahamic faiths, can work together to respond to the challenges posed by developments in modern society, especially to discuss and promote shared values.
Cooperation between faith-based organizations in local communities can respond to the challenges posed by a changing world (environmental, globalisation, violence, terrorism, decline of values etc.) and can show that religions have viable answers to these challenges in the contemporary world.
Other Faiths
There is almost no contact between Jewish leaders and other faiths, on an international level.
Dialogue with all representatives of all faiths is important in building bridges of understanding and establishing respect.
