The meeting took place in the Consistory Hall and brought together the pope, AJC chief executive Ted Deutch and other leaders of the Jewish advocacy organization. In the Vatican's published address, Leo connected the protection of religious freedom with practical cooperation between Jewish and Catholic communities.
A Commitment Grounded in Church Teaching
Leo recalled his statement during the sixtieth anniversary of Nostra Aetate in October 2025 that the Church rejects antisemitism and opposes it on religious grounds. His October 22 address renewed that position before the visiting Jewish delegation.
He placed it alongside duties to uphold human dignity, help the poor and advance justice and peace. The structure of the speech made opposition to religious and ethnic hatred part of that shared responsibility, rather than a separate diplomatic courtesy to his guests.
Why Nostra Aetate Matters
The declaration, proclaimed by Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965, set out the Second Vatican Council's approach to relations with other religions. Its section on Judaism rejects collective blame against Jews for the death of Jesus and condemns antisemitic persecution and hatred.
It also calls for mutual understanding through study and dialogue. By returning to the declaration, Leo located the meeting within an established framework for Jewish and Catholic relations. The address renewed a longstanding teaching while asking that it shape relations between living communities.
Jewish Leaders Point to Continuing Work
Speaking to Jewish Insider after the audience, Deutch welcomed both the pope's commitment against antisemitism and his support for sustained engagement with AJC. He described the encounter as an opportunity to deepen cooperation on challenges facing Jewish communities.
Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC's director of interreligious affairs, told the outlet that AJC and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops were preparing an updated educational project for November. The initiative addresses antisemitism through a Catholic perspective, connecting institutional dialogue with the way prejudice is taught and confronted.
A Jerusalem Gift and a Historical Link
Jewish Insider reported that the delegation presented Leo with artwork created in Jerusalem, featuring a passage from Nostra Aetate in Latin and Hebrew. The design was inspired by an Italian Jewish marriage contract dating to 1822, joining the document's message to a specific piece of Jewish cultural history.
The audience also coincided with the Church's commemoration of John Paul II. In his address, Leo recalled that predecessor's February 6, 1995, meeting with AJC governors and his encouragement to make dialogue visible in community life.
The published address ended with a brief greeting in Hebrew: Shalom. It followed Leo's thanks to the delegation and his assurance of prayers for his visitors.
Leo thanked those maintaining relationships based on sincerity and respect, then urged concrete expressions of fraternity in a world marked by violence and mistrust. For AJC's leaders, the next step described after the audience was continued engagement and educational cooperation, carrying the commitments voiced at the Vatican into work beyond the meeting room.
