Ahead of the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, WJC’s senior leadership traveled to Rome for a series of high-level meetings with Vatican officials. The delegation met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, and Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. The visit also included discussions with Monsignor Flavio Pace, Vice-President of the Commission and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
In the four separate meetings, which were each attended by Executive Vice President Maram Stern, Executive Director of the Latin American Jewish Congress Claudio Epelman, and WJC Representative to the Holy See Viktor Eichner, WJC highlighted the importance of maintaining Jewish-Catholic relations amidst the October 7th terror attacks on Israel, urging the Holy See to play an increasingly active role in fighting antisemitism and calling for the return of the 48 remaining hostages.
The visit is the latest engagement between WJC and the Vatican, which has remained committed to advancing interfaith dialogue for decades. In 2023, the World Jewish Congress opened its representative office to the Holy See in Vatican City to strengthen Catholic-Jewish relations worldwide.
