It has been 50 years since the Second Vatican Council promulgated Nostra Aetate. Nostra Aetate declares the relationship among the Catholic Church and non-Christian religions. “It really is a monumental document for the church,” world religions teacher Mrs. Becca Meagher said.

Nostra Aetate is the basis for relations with non-Christian religions. “It gives us a reason to have a class like world religions. It says to us, and to the young people especially, that we can learn more about our faith by studying the traditions of other faiths,” Meagher said.

Without Nostra Aetate, Catholics everywhere wouldn’t have any official encouragement to learn about other faiths. “It reduces religious intolerance that comes with not knowing,” Meagher said.

Nostra Aetate opens up dialogue between the Catholic Church and other religions around the world. To celebrate its anniversary, the world religions classes learned about Nostra Aetate.