Catholic theologian Massimo Faggioli, PhD, will present the 19th Annual Lecture in Jewish/Christian Engagement, titled “Catholics and Antisemitism: Reading Nostra Aetate in 2025,” on March 19 at 7 p.m. in the Kelley Center.
Co-sponsored by the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies and the Center for Catholic Studies, the Annual Lecture in Jewish/Christian Engagement represents Fairfield’s commitment to respectful and substantive inter-religious dialogue. A livestream will be available for those unable to attend in person at Fairfield University's Kelley Center. This event is free and open to the public; registration is required.
In his remarks, Dr. Faggioli will explore the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings on Jewish-Christian relations, focusing on the significance the 60th anniversary of a document of the Second Vatican Council, Nostra Aetate (Latin for "In Our Time), the 1965 "Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions."
With the aggiornamento of the Council – the "opening the windows of the Church to let in fresh air" – this document, written in the light of sober reflection on the Holocaust, proposed a revolution in the Catholic Church’s regard for other religions, particularly Judaism, reflected some years later in John Paul II’s reference to the Jewish people as “our elder brothers” in the faith.
“In this particular moment,” Dr. Faggioli has observed, “Catholics have a particular role to respond to recent trends: globalization and the end of the exceptionalism of the Holocaust; the effects of the war in Israel and Palestine; [and] a relativism towards Vatican II which involves the theology of Jewish-Christian dialogue, despite its key role in the teaching of Vatican II.”
A professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University, Dr. Faggioli is a recognized expert on the history and organizational structure of the Catholic Church. His areas of specialization include the papacy, Vatican II, the Roman Curia, liturgical reforms, emerging Catholic movements, and the intersection of Catholicism with global politics.
Dr. Faggioli's insights are frequently sought by media outlets worldwide, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, National Public Radio, and La Croix International, in which he offers analysis on the relationship between global politics and the Catholic Church, addressing both current events and longstanding issues.
This event is free and open to the public. To register to attend, and for more information about this and other spring 2025 lectures, visit the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies at fairfield.edu/bennettcenter and the Center for Catholic Studies at fairfield.edu/cs.
