Abstract / DOI
John Paul II: «The Best Pope the Jews Ever Had». In 1978, after the election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła as Pope, there were Jewish voices expressing suspicion and scepticism in view of the relationship between the elected Pope and the Jewish people. The scepticism persisted for a while, but it changed not least thanks to weighty statements and initiatives of Pope John Paul II. The visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome on April 13, 1986 was a very special event, during which John Paul II addressed the Jewish community: «You are our elder brothers.» This was repeated by the Pope more than once and characterizes the relationship between the Church and Judaism as a given bond. This and other relevant statements were a stimulus to theology and received commentaries through important gestures by John Paul II. The years of his pontificate were however also accompanied by causes for tension or annoyances in the Catholic-Jewish relationship.