His Eminence, Wilton Cardinal Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington, D.C., gave a lecture about the future of Jewish-Christian dialogue on Zoom to an international virtual gathering of 500 or more participants on March 31, 2022.

Cardinal Gregory has a long experience as the co-chair of the United States Bishops Conference-National Council of Synagogues dialogue. He reviewed key points in the Church’s development of the principles of the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the Relations of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Nostra aetate) over the past 55 years.

Cardinal Gregory also pointed to the development of mutual understanding and the challenges we still face, including a concerted response to expressions of anti-Jewish bigotry in violent forms. As Catholic leaders continue the efforts to educate the faithful, they also pledge that a strong stand against antisemitism in any form is required of Christians.

Regarding the future, Cardinal Gregory touched on three areas:

• widening the exchanges between Catholics and Jews on the local level
• joint outreach whereby Catholics and Jews serve the needs of the wider world
• reaching the younger generation of both communities

Rabbi Burton Visotzky, professor and interfaith coordinator in Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), moderated the program and presented questions for the speaker. The John Paul II Center sponsored the event, an annual lecture in Rome, with financial support from the Russell Berrie Foundation.

JTS recorded the event, which you can watch below, or you can select to watch it directly on JTS’s YouTube channel.