Location: Anderson Student Center, North Woulfe Alumni Hall (Room 378N)
Presentation by Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Ph.D.
Wed., Nov 5, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Anderson Student Center, North Woulfe Alumni Hall (Room 378N) - click here for map
University of St. Thomas 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN
Free and open to the public
click here for visitor parking information
Nostra Aetate, the “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions,” was issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965. Written in the shadow of the Shoah, this brief but groundbreaking document marked a historic shift in the Catholic Church’s relationship with the Jewish people. It calls for a renewed and respectful dialogue in the wake of nearly two thousand years of Christian misunderstanding, marginalization, and persecution of the Jewish people. In this lecture, Rabbi Abraham Skorka reflects on Nostra Aetate as both a profound response to tragedy and a beacon of hope grounded in biblical values. Drawing on his lifelong commitment to interfaith dialogue – and his close friendship and theological partnership with Pope Francis – Rabbi Skorka invites us to consider how the beauty of authentic encounter continues to reveal deeper truths and possibilities for hope. He also considers the challenges that remain, inviting us to reflect on how these obstacles might be overcome through the continued work of those who seek to build bridges between faith communities.
Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Ph.D., is Senior Research Fellow for Jewish Studies and Jewish-Catholic Relations at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Born in Buenos Aires, he earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires and received rabbinical ordination from the Latin-American Rabbinical Seminary. He served as rabbi of Benei Tikva synagogue for 42 years and as rector of the Rabbinical Seminary for two decades. A leading figure in Jewish-Christian dialogue, Rabbi Skorka is widely known for his deep personal friendship and theological partnership with Pope Francis. Their landmark book, On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family, and the Church in the Twenty-First Century (Penguin Random House, 2013), captures years of public conversation between the two leaders and models respectful interreligious engagement. Rabbi Skorka has held academic posts at Saint Joseph’s University and Gratz College and received honorary doctorates from institutions including The Jewish Theological Seminary of America and the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina. His numerous awards include the Jan Karski Eagle Award and the Shevet Achim Award from the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations.
Sponsored and organized by the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies and the Encountering Judaism Initiative of the Theology Department at the University of St. Thomas and cosponsored by the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning at Saint John’s University, Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC), the Arch Diocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
In collaboration with the Claritas Initiative, the Theology Department, Campus Ministry, and the Office for Mission at St. Thomas
Optional registration:
https://tommielink.stthomas.edu/event/11369900
Also check out other Contests in Mendota, Business events in Mendota, Arts events in Mendota.