(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 10.22.2026).- A delegation from the American Jewish Committee (AJC) was received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, October 22, in the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace. The AJC is an organization that builds partnerships based on trust with leaders around the world to ensure the safety and well-being of Jews and Israel. The following are the Pope’s remarks:
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Distinguished members of the American Jewish Committee,
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Vatican on this day when the Church remembers in a special way my beloved predecessor, Saint John Paul II, whose efforts contributed so greatly to fostering the friendship between Jews and Catholics. Addressing the Board of Governors of your Committee in 1995, he observed that “dialogue between Christians and Jews must find eloquent expression in the life of both of our communities” (6 February 1995). These words remain relevant today, as reflected in your organization’s longstanding commitment to dialogue and to cooperation with the Catholic Church. I therefore welcome this opportunity to express gratitude to all who continue to build relationships, grounded in sincerity and mutual respect, between our respective communities.
Rooted in our shared spiritual heritage, this friendship also calls us to defend human dignity, to serve the poor, to protect religious freedom and to promote justice and peace. Essential to this commitment is the rejection of all forms of religious and ethnic hatred and discrimination. In this regard, on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the Declaration Nostra Aetate from the Second Vatican Council, I affirmed that “the Church does not tolerate anti-Semitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself” (General Audience, 29 October 2025). Differences of opinion, however profound, must never give rise to prejudice and hostility, which undermine the moral foundations of our society.
In a world wounded by violence and mistrust, this commitment to fraternity is especially urgent. Indeed, “the witness of our fraternity, which I hope we will be able to show with effective gestures, will certainly contribute to building a more peaceful world, something that all men and women of good will desire in their hearts” (Address to Representatives of Other Churches and Ecclesial Communities and of Other Religions, 19 May 2025).
With these thoughts, I thank you once again for your visit. I assure you of my prayers. Shalom!
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