Pope Paul VI, 1897-1978

Pope Paul VI’s visit to the Holy Land in 1964 served as de facto recognition of the State of Israel. It was the first time any pope left Italy in over a century. In 1965, Paul issued the Nostra Aetate declaration, which cleared the Jewish people of blame for the death of Jesus — an accusation that long fueled antisemitism — and promoted dialogue and better relations between Jews and Catholics.

Photo: Fotografia Felici