IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 260 
Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration 
on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, Nostra Aetate, 
and the continuing need for mutual interreligious respect and dialogue. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 6, 2005 
Mr. HOLT submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on International Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Second Vatican 
Council’s Declaration on the Relation of the Church to 
Non-Christian Religions, Nostra Aetate, and the con-
tinuing need for mutual interreligious respect and dia-
logue. 
Whereas 2005 marks the 40th anniversary of the promulga-
tion of the Nostra Aetate; 
Whereas on October 28, 1965, after the overwhelmingly af-
firmative vote of the Second Vatican Council of the 
Roman Catholic Church, Pope Paul VI issued the Dec-
laration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian 
Religions, Nostra Aetate; 
Whereas the Nostra Aetate affirms the need for mutual re-
spect among all religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism,
•HCON 260 IH 
and Islam, and strongly supports ‘‘dialogue and collabo-
ration with the followers of other religions’’; 
Whereas the Nostra Aetate clearly states that ‘‘No founda-
tion therefore remains for any theory or practice that 
leads to discrimination between man and man or people 
and people, so far as their human dignity and the rights 
flowing from it are concerned.’’; 
Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has said that ‘‘Nostra Aetate 
has proven to be a milestone on the road towards rec-
onciliation of Christians with the Jewish people. It makes 
clear that ‘God holds the Jews most dear for the sake of 
their Fathers; He does not repent of the gifts He makes 
or of the calls He issues’ ’’; 
Whereas the Nostra Aetate made possible a new relationship 
between Catholics and Jews worldwide and opened a his-
toric chapter in Jewish-Christian relations that is unprec-
edented in its closeness and warmth; and 
Whereas the Nostra Aetate states that the Church ‘‘decries 
hatred, persecution, displays of anti-Semitism, directed 
against Jews at any time and by anyone’’: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) recognizes the 40th anniversary of the Sec-
ond Vatican Council’s Declaration on the Relation of 
the Church to Non-Christian Religions, Nostra 
Aetate; 
(2) recognizes and appreciates the religious di-
versity of the United States and the world;
•HCON 260 IH 
(3) encourages the United States to serve in a 
role of leadership in combating anti-Semitism in all 
its ugly forms and ending religious intolerance and 
religious discrimination worldwide; 
(4) acknowledges and supports the new rela-
tionship of collaboration and dialogue that has 
grown between Jews and Roman Catholics world-
wide; and 
(5) requests the President— 
(A) to issue a proclamation recognizing the 
40th anniversary of the Nostra Aetate and urg-
ing the people of the United States to observe 
the anniversary with appropriate ceremonies 
and activities; and 
(B) to exert the leadership of the United 
States to work toward ensuring that anti-Semi-
tism and all forms of religious hatred and racial 
bigotry are not tolerated worldwide. 
Æ