October 22, 2026 — Vatican City
Delegation Travels to Rome for Meetings with Vatican, Jewish, and Diplomatic Leaders with Focus on Catholic-Jewish Relations and Combatting Antisemitism
American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch, President Bobby Lapin, and Director of Interreligious Affairs Rabbi Noam Marans, alongside dozens of AJC leaders, met today with Pope Leo XIV, bringing with them a message of Jewish-Catholic solidarity.
During today’s papal audience, the delegation presented Pope Leo with Honoring a Sacred Relationship, artwork commissioned by AJC and created by Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz, Izzy Pludwinski, and Yair Medina in Jerusalem.
Pope Leo XIV with AJC Director of interreligious Affairs Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC Chair of Interreligious Affairs Dr. Joyce Silberstang, AJC CEO Ted Deutch, and AJC President Bobby Lapin (Vatican Media)
The piece depicts a powerful excerpt from Nostra Aetate—the 1965 Vatican declaration that revolutionized Catholic-Jewish relations by rejecting antisemitism, affirming Judaism’s eternal covenant with God, and building new bridges of understanding—in both the original Latin and the official Hebrew translation: “Since the spiritual patrimony common to Christians and Jews is thus so great, this sacred synod wants to foster and recommend…mutual understanding and respect...” The artistic floral border of the piece is inspired by an illuminated ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) from Ferrara, Italy 1822. The use of a ketubah border is intentional, drawing on the covenant between the bride and groom, to showcase Nostra Aetate as a tangible reminder of the lasting and vital relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people.
Reflecting on the gift presentation to Pope Leo, Deutch said, “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. 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.”
During the Papal audience, Pope Leo reflected on the longstanding relationship between the Church and AJC, saying, “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. Addressing the Board of Governors of your Committee in 1995, he observed that ‘dialogue between Christians and Jews must find eloquent expression in the life of both of our communities’ (6 February 1995). These words remain relevant today, as reflected in your organization’s longstanding commitment to dialogue and to cooperation with the Catholic Church. 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.”
This week marks the first AJC lay leadership delegation to the Vatican during Pope Leo’s pontificate. Rabbi Marans has previously met with Pope Leo multiple times, including May 2025, when he represented AJC at Pope Leo’s Inaugural Mass. Among other visits, Marans participated in the Vatican commemorations of the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate in October 2025.
“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,” said Rabbi Marans. “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.”
In addition to their audience with the Pope, the delegation is also meeting with Vatican, Jewish, and diplomatic officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State; Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States; The Hon. Yaron Sideman, Ambassador of Israel to the Holy See; Archbishop Flavio Pace, Vice President, The Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews; Reverend Rafael Starnitzky, Secretary, Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews; Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, Chief Rabbi of Rome; and Dr. Livia Ottolenghi, President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI).
“It is a great honor to represent AJC as we met Pope Leo,” said Lapin. “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.”
AJC’s relations with the Catholic Church date back to at least 1915. For decades, AJC has sustained a relationship with the Holy See and worked with the Church to further Catholic-Jewish Relations, including as a key partner in shaping Nostra Aetate. Even as misunderstandings in interpreting the Israel-Palestinian conflict and recent wars in the region have strained Catholic-Jewish relations, the Church remains committed to the spirit of Nostra Aetate as expressed in Pope Leo’s May 2025 letter to Rabbi Marans.
The AJC delegation included AJC Chair of Interreligious Affairs Dr. Joyce Silberstang, AJC Associate Director of Interreligious Affairs Rabbi Allyson Zacharoff, and AJC Representative in Italy and Liaison to the Holy See Lisa Palmieri-Billig.
American Jewish Committee (AJC) is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, creating trusted partnerships with leaders around the world to ensure Jews and Israel are safe and thriving. Through 40 offices and dozens of partnerships with Jewish communities worldwide, AJC engages leaders in more than 110 countries, empowering those in government, education, partner communities, and the private sector to counter antisemitism and act as allies. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
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