The Pope thanked them for choosing Rome as the location for their meeting, and he recalled that Christians and Jews have lived together in the city for a long time.

 

“I’m joyful that this meeting was organized in Rome, the city where the apostles Peter and Paul are buried. Christians and Jews have lived together in Rome for 2,000 years, although their long history of relations has not been free from tension.”

 

“Christians have Jewish roots,” said the Pope. He added that the dialogue between the two religions over the last 50 years has been very positive.

 

Pope Francis:

“A true fraternal dialogue has developed since the Second Vatican Council, after the Nostra aetate declaration. This document represents the affirmation of Christianity’s Jewish roots and the irrevocable rejection of antisemitism.”

 

The Nostra aetate declaration was about relations between the Catholic Church and all non-Christian religions. It was approved in 1965 during the Second Vatican Council.

 

At the end of the meeting, Pope Francis thanked everyone for their support of Jewish-Christian dialogue, and he received an immediate response.