The Church... cannot forget that she received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God in His inexpressible mercy concluded the Ancient Covenant. Nor can she forget that she draws sustenance from the root of that well-cultivated olive tree [Israel] onto which have been grafted the wild shoots, the Gentiles. Indeed, the Church believes that by His cross Christ, Our Peace, reconciled Jews and Gentiles, making both one in Himself.
The Church keeps ever in mind the words of the Apostle about his kinsmen: "theirs is the sonship and the glory and the covenants and the law and the worship and the promises; theirs are the fathers and from them is the Messiah according to the flesh" (Rom. 9:4-5), the Son of the Virgin Mary. She also recalls that the Apostles, the Church's main-stay and pillars, as well as most of the early disciples who proclaimed Christ's Gospel to the world, sprang from the Jewish people... 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. (NA4)
We are an apostolate of Catholics for Israel and Catholics in Israel committed to fostering a greater love for the Jewish people, for Jesus the Messiah, and for His Body, the Catholic Church.
What brings Jewish and Gentile Catholics together in service to Israel? Faithful to the Church’s Magisterium, Catholics for Israel seeks to deepen Christians’ love for the Jewish people and their own Jewish roots. Our mission looks toward the full reconciliation of Israel and the Church in Jesus the Messiah, without the loss of Jewish identity and heritage.
Love for Israel, faith in Jesus the Messiah, and communion with the Catholic Church belong together. Catholics for Israel helps Christians rediscover their Jewish roots, invites Jews and others to encounter Jesus, and works for reconciliation in the Holy Land. Our mission is to share the Gospel faithfully, deepen understanding, and build bridges in truth and love.
Why Catholics for Israel? Our mission begins with the Jewish roots of the Catholic faith and God’s enduring covenant with Israel. This article traces the Church’s relationship with the Jewish people, confronts the wounds of the past, and explores today’s challenges: reconciliation in the Messiah, opposition to antisemitism, and support for Israel in fidelity to God’s promises.
Catholics for Israel is an apostolate faithful to the Church’s Magisterium, entrusted by Christ with authentically interpreting the word of God. Our convictions about Israel and the Jewish people rest on official Catholic teaching, especially Nostra Aetate §4 and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Here we explain what that means for our mission and commitments.
Test your knowledge of Israel and the Church. Don't worry if you're unsure about the answers; just take your best guess. This quiz highlights common beliefs and assumptions on these topics and then offers clear, well-grounded explanations drawn from Catholic teaching.
