In the Person of Christ: An Examination of Relations Between the Vatican and the Jewish People after the Holocaust

From its genesis, the Christian faith has undoubtedly interacted with the followers of Judaism more than with any other faith. However, despite their common roots, the history of Jewish-Christian relations has been fraught with conflict, persecution and division. The climax of this narrative occurred with the Holocaust and World War II, a memory which is still fresh in the minds of Jews and Christians alike. Dialogue continues today around this horrific event from numerous angles of scholarship. One such discussion circles around the Papacy and its involvement, or lack thereof, in the events of the Shoah. In this paper I will attempt to extend this discussion by examining relations between the Papacy and the Jewish people in a post-Holocaust context. I will focus on two central documents produced by the Vatican since WWII which address the relationship between Christians and Jews: Nostra Aetate and We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah