American Jewish Committee (AJC) leaders met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday, marking the first lay leadership delegation to visit the pontiff since the beginning of his papacy.
During their visit to Rome, the AJC delegation also held discussions with senior Vatican officials, including Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Vatican Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Gallagher. They also met with diplomatic figures and representatives from the Italian Jewish community.
The ties between AJC and the Catholic Church stretch back more than a century to at least 1915, with the Holy See and the advocacy group maintaining a decades-long partnership that included a pivotal role in the formulation of Nostra Aetate, the landmark 1965 Vatican declaration that transformed Catholic-Jewish relations by rejecting antisemitism, affirming Judaism's eternal covenant with God, and building new bridges of understanding.
Vatican continues to uphold cooperation with Jewish community
Although recent disagreements and divergent viewpoints regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have occasionally created friction, AJC noted that the Vatican continues to uphold the core principles of the historic document. This enduring commitment was highlighted in a letter sent to Rabbi Noam Marans in May 2025, where Pope Leo pledged “to continue and strengthen the church’s dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate.”
The delegation was led by AJC Chief Executive Ted Deutch, President Bobby Lapin, and Director of Inter-religious Affairs Rabbi Noam Marans, alongside AJC Chair of Inter-religious Affairs Dr. Joyce Silberstang, AJC Associate Director of Inter-religious Affairs Rabbi Allyson Zacharoff, AJC Representative in Italy and Liaison to the Holy See Lisa Palmieri-Billig, and dozens of other AJC leaders.
During the audience, the delegation presented the Pope with a piece of commissioned artwork titled Honoring a Sacred Relationship. Created by Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz, Izzy Pludwinski, and Yair Medina in Jerusalem, the piece displays key passages from Nostra Aetate, written in both the original Latin and an official Hebrew translation. Encircling these texts is a decorative border inspired by an 1822 illuminated Jewish marriage contract from Ferrara, Italy, with the ketubah design purposefully chosen to symbolize the enduring covenant and lasting bond between the Church and the Jewish people.
During the papal audience, Pope Leo addressed the delegation about the longstanding relationship between the Church and the organization, stating, “It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Vatican on this day when the Church remembers in a special way my beloved predecessor, Saint John Paul II, whose efforts contributed so greatly to fostering the friendship between Jews and Catholics.”
Pope's commitment to combat antisemitism
The Pope also recalled remarks made to the committee’s board of governors in 1995, noting that his predecessor observed that “dialogue between Christians and Jews must find eloquent expression in the life of both of our communities.”
“These words remain relevant today, as reflected in your organization’s longstanding commitment to dialogue and to cooperation with the Catholic Church,” Pope Leo said. “I, therefore, welcome this opportunity to express gratitude to all who continue to build relationships, grounded in sincerity and mutual respect, between our respective communities.”
Reaffirming the stance of the Church, the pontiff added, “In this regard, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Declaration Nostra Aetate from the Second Vatican Council, I affirmed that ‘the Church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself.’”
Deutch highlighted the importance of the meeting during a time when inter-religious dialogue faces ongoing challenges.
“When Pope Leo XIV reached out to AJC on the very first day of his papacy, he reaffirmed the enduring importance of the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people,” Deutch said. “At a time when dialogue across faiths is more important than ever, this gift celebrates a relationship sustained by decades of trust, dialogue, and shared values, rooted in the historic breakthrough of Nostra Aetate. We thank His Holiness for his partnership, generosity, and unwavering support for Jews across the world.”
Lapin stated, “It is a great honor to represent AJC as we met Pope Leo.”
He added, “We are proud of AJC’s long history of leadership in Catholic-Jewish relations, and are grateful for Pope Leo’s commitment to this relationship and leadership in combating antisemitism.”
Marans noted, “It is particularly poignant that we are able to reaffirm our joint commitment to Catholic-Jewish relations in person not only with Vatican officials, but with Pope Leo himself, who on the occasion of his inauguration, reached out directly to AJC and the Jewish community.
The rabbi added: “AJC is deeply moved that this group of Jewish leaders was welcomed to a papal audience while His Holiness continues to recover, and is among the first to meet him as he resumed his schedule of public meetings – a clear demonstration of the value he places on maintaining and fostering the enduring relationship between the Church and the Jewish people.”