VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis has marked the 50th anniversary of the turning point in the Catholic Church’s relations with other religions by calling for greater interfaith collaboration in the face of religious extremism.
Francis devoted his usual Wednesday general audience catechism lesson to the importance of the “Nostra Aetate” declaration, which was passed during the Second Vatican Council and revolutionized the church’s relations with Jews in particular. It said Christ’s death could not be attributed to Jews as a whole, recognized the shared spiritual patrimony between Christians and Jews and decried all forms of anti-Semitism.
Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist representatives were in the VIP seats for Pope Francis’ remarks in St. Peter’s Square.
Francis said the rise of terrorism has fomented suspicion and condemnation about religion. He said that while no religion is immune from fundamentalists, the world must look instead at the positive values that religions promote, especially in caring for the poor.
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