Press Release of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, 23.10.2025

Holy See Presss Office ^ | October 23, 2025 | Holy See Press office

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Press Release of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, 23.10.2025

Press release of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue
and the Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism

Walking Together in Hope:

60th Anniversary of the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration Nostra Aetate on the Church’s relations with non-Christian religions, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism are organizing a special event called, Walking Together in Hope, which will take place on 28 October 2025, from 18.30 to 20.00, in the Paul VI Hall.

The evening will be an opportunity to celebrate six decades of dialogue, friendship and cooperation among followers of the world’s religions, inspired by the Declaration Nostra Aetate, one of the most groundbreaking documents of the Second Vatican Council. It will also reaffirm the call for peace, justice and human fraternity in an age marked by divisions and conflicts.

Leaders and representatives of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism and traditional African religions will gather together with members of the Roman Curia, the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, Catholic delegates engaged in interreligious dialogue, scholars, interreligious networks and young people from around the world. The program will include music, personal testimonies and cultural performances celebrating unity amidst diversity.

The highlight of the event will be the address by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, followed by a silent prayer for peace. The meeting will give new impetus to the shared mission of planting seeds of dialogue and hope for future generations.

On 29 October 2025, the Holy Father’s General Audience will also be dedicated to the Declaration Nostra Aetate and interreligious dialogue, in the presence of numerous religious leaders.

These events are open to the public and will be broadcast live by Vatican Media. For admission tickets to the event on 28 October, which are free (subject to availability), please apply no later than 27 October 2025 to the following email address: nostraaetate60years@interrel.va.

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• Audiences

• Resignations and Appointments

• Notice of Briefing

• Holy See Press Office Press Release: Audience with Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom

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The highlight of the event will be the address by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, followed by a silent prayer for peace.

To which "gods" will the members of Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shintoism pray to for "peace"?

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Nostra Aetate Barf Alert

[TheThirdRuffian]

I have a soft spot for Zoroastrians as the three “Magi” or wise men” of the New Testament were almost certainly Zoroastrians.

So at least they have the correct God.

[wiley]

To me this document is a largely speculative discourse and per Benedict XVI must be understood within a hermenuetic of continuity. My contention is that some VII documents conflate speculative theology with dogma and liberals leverage that confusion.

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Pope (Benedict XVI) on Nostra Aetate's "weakness"

Thus it was truly surprising and refreshing to hear in Benedict's radio address that the pope himself has reservations about Nostra Aetate, and even some criticism of it. Let's look at his statements in context:

"Thus, in a precise and extraordinarily dense document, a theme is opened up whose importance could not be foreseen at the time. The task that it involves and the efforts that are still necessary in order to distinguish, clarify and understand, are appearing ever more clearly.In the process of active reception, a weakness of this otherwise extraordinary text has gradually emerged: it speaks of religion solely in a positive way and it disregards the sick and distorted forms of religion which, from the historical and theological viewpoints, are of far-reaching importance; for this reason the Christian faith, from the outset, adopted a critical stance towards religion, both internally and externally."

This is a phenomenal statement. Benedict XVI is here acknowledging that Nostra Aetate, besides being "extraordinarily dense", has a very profound "weakness" - that it speaks too positively of other religions and does not look at them critically, which is the approach the Church had always taken "from the outset."