50 years after Nostra Aetate, Jewish-Catholic relations have never been better

On March 22, Providence College hosted a discussion titled “Theological Exchange Between Catholics and Jews. Nostra Aetate – Fifty Years Later,” with Rabbi Gary  Bretton-Granatoor, of Congregation Shirat Hayam in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and the Rev. Dennis McManus, of Georgetown University.

About 100 alumni, students and members of the Jewish and Catholic communities gathered in the university’s Aquinas Hall to listen to the two religious leaders speak about the relationship between Catholics and Jews in the past and present, as well as the significance of the Nostra Aetate, the first post-Holocaust document discussing the relationship of the Catholic church with non-Christian religions. The document’s groundbreaking Chapter 4 denounced anti-Semitism and stressed the religious bond and spiritual legacy shared by Jews and the church. 

Both Bretton-Granatoor and McManus said relations have never been better between the two religions than they are now. But McManus warned of complacency, saying, “When things are good, you take it for granted, and may stop working toward further progress.”

Bretton-Granatoor echoed this sentiment, and vowed to keep working with the Catholic community to build stronger relationships.

One of the courses McManus teaches at Georgetown University is Holocaust Forensics. This course provides students with a deep understanding of the Holocaust through the use of investigative techniques that have the students retracing the steps of the Nazis and their victims. McManus spoke of his many missions to Eastern Europe, where he investigates Holocaust crime scenes.

He recalled speaking to a 25-year-old woman on the streets of Romania. He asked about her understanding of the events that occurred during that time. McManus related how this young woman denied the very existence of the Holocaust, adamantly dismissing the credibility of the genocide. The clergyman noted that this is not uncommon.

“Many groups around Europe do not recognize Nostra Aetate, or even the Holocaust,” he said.

McManus acknowledged that inside many seminaries, the relationship between Catholics and Jews is not discussed or taught enough, sometimes leading to misconceptions.

Bretton-Granatoor discussed his great concern about the rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S., citing the desecration of gravestones in cemeteries in St. Louis and Philadelphia. The rabbi spoke of the importance of tolerance and acceptance.

The night concluded with the two leaders expressing optimism about the future relationship between the two faiths.

“We [Catholics and Jews] know how to come together for the sake of healing the world,” said Bretton-Granatoor.

SAM SERBY is a native of East Greenwich and attended Temple Sinai, in Cranston, for many years. He is a recent graduate of Johnson & Wales University.