Cardinal Koch marks 40th anniversary of first papal visit to a Synagogue

Cardinal Kurt Koch

The visit of Saint John Paul II to the Rome synagogue on April 13, 1986, was an extraordinary event. For the first time in history, a Bishop of Rome entered a synagogue to bear witness before the world to his appreciation for the Jewish religion and the Jewish people.

The Pope emphasised that the Catholic Church has a relationship with Judaism unlike that with any other religion: “The Jewish religion is not ‘extrinsic’ to us, but in a certain sense is ‘intrinsic’ to our own religion.” He referred to the Jews as “dearly beloved brothers and, in a certain way, […] our elder brothers,” thus effectively summarising what had been “noted by the Council.”

In particular, through this visit to the Rome synagogue forty years ago—as well as through many of his other important statements on Catholic–Jewish dialogue, various eloquent gestures, and the personal friendships he maintained with members of the Jewish people—Pope John Paul II charted a significant course for the future of reconciliation between the Catholic Church and Judaism.