Pope Francis has emerged as one of the most consistent advocates of deepening Catholic-Jewish relations in recent papal history. His apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (2013) articulates a vision of Jewish-Christian dialogue grounded not only in historical reconciliation but in theological mutuality and spiritual kinship. This section will explore key elements of Pope Francis’ teachings on Judaism and their implications for the identity and vocation of Hebrew Catholics, particularly those who live their faith in fidelity to both the Jewish tradition and the Catholic Church.

In Evangelii Gaudium§247, Pope Francis reaffirms with unambiguous clarity the continuing validity of God's covenant with the Jewish people:

“We hold the Jewish people in special regard because their covenant with God has never been revoked, for ‘the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable’ (Rom 11:29).”¹

This declaration resonates profoundly with the previous documents of the Church, such as Nostra Aetate and The Gifts and the Calling of God Are Irrevocable (2015), yet Francis brings a distinctive pastoral warmth and personal depth. For Hebrew Catholics, this papal affirmation lends authoritative support to the lived reality that being Jewish and being Catholic are not mutually exclusive states but can coexist in a unified calling.

The insistence that Judaism is not a “foreign religion” to Christians and that Jews are not among those called “to turn from idols” (cf. 1 Thes 1:9) is a profound shift from older supersessionist models.² This theological correction opens space for a richer ecclesiology in which the Jewish people—and by extension Hebrew Catholics — are understood as intrinsic to the very identity of the Church. Hebrew Catholics, who observe Jewish tradition in light of Christ, become a living sign of this continuity.

Pope Francis’ teaching that Christians “share with Jews an important part of the sacred Scriptures” and look “upon the people of the covenant and their faith as one of the sacred roots of her own Christian identity”³ invites reflection on how Hebrew Catholics are uniquely positioned to deepen this shared heritage. The Hebrew Catholic's relationship with both the Tanakh and its liturgical expressions — such as Passover, Shabbat, and the feasts of the Lord — takes on renewed significance when the Church reclaims her Jewish roots not as a past memory but as a living inheritance.

Francis continues in §249:

“God continues to work among the people of the Old Covenant and to bring forth treasures of wisdom which flow from their encounter with his word.”⁴

This affirmation is not limited to the historical or cultural contributions of Judaism; it recognizes an ongoing divine activity within the Jewish people. For Hebrew Catholics, this provides theological validation for Torah observance within the context of Catholic faith. If God continues to bring forth treasures through Jewish fidelity to the Torah, then the voluntary and joyful observance of Torah by Hebrew Catholics can be understood not as retrograde or redundant, but as participation in this ongoing divine-human dialogue.

In §248, Pope Francis writes:

“Dialogue and friendship with the children of Israel are part of the life of Jesus’ disciples.”⁵

This teaching elevates Catholic-Jewish dialogue beyond a diplomatic or academic exercise — it becomes part of discipleship itself. The historical weight of persecution, especially those actions “that have involved Christians,” must now give way to a relationship of friendship and mutual enrichment. Hebrew Catholics, as Jews who have found the fullness of faith in Christ, are in a singular position to embody this friendship in a way that is both deeply personal and profoundly theological.

They are not outsiders offering sympathy from without, but members of both communities offering insight from within. Their observance of the Torah can act as a kind of sacramental gesture of continuity, not in contradiction to the New Covenant, but as a witness to the ongoing life of the Old. In this, they play an irreplaceable role as bridge-builders: mediators of memory, prayer, and mutual recognition.

Francis also affirms in §249 a “rich complementarity” between Judaism and Christianity that enables a collaborative engagement with Scripture and moral vision:

“We can also share many ethical convictions and a common concern for justice and the development of peoples.”⁶

This complementarity creates theological and pastoral space for Hebrew Catholics to contribute to both Jewish and Christian exegesis. Trained in both rabbinic traditions and the teachings of the Church, they can help reforge ancient bonds of interpretive fellowship. In the moral sphere, Hebrew Catholics can also offer a unique synthesis of Jewish halakhic sensibility and Catholic moral theology, contributing to conversations on social justice, life issues, and creation care.

Such complementarity is not without tension — Francis readily acknowledges that “certain Christian beliefs are unacceptable to Judaism.” But this honest appraisal does not hinder shared study or moral action. For Hebrew Catholics, this represents a call to humility, wisdom, and prophetic witness — demonstrating that faith in Jesus as Messiah need not erase Jewish particularity, but can fulfill and illuminate it.

Pope Francis’ teachings in Evangelii Gaudium have offered the Church a renewed lens through which to view her relationship with the Jewish people — not as a finished past, but as a shared present and a hope-filled future. His insistence on the ongoing vitality of the Jewish covenant, the shared roots of faith, and the enduring wisdom of Israel all affirm the place of Hebrew Catholics within the Church’s unfolding identity.

Far from being anomalies or exceptions, Torah-observant Hebrew Catholics stand at the crossroads of divine fidelity: where the promises made to Abraham are remembered, and where the Messiah’s light shines through the law written on Jewish hearts. Their presence is a quiet yet radiant testimony to the irrevocable promises of God.

Footnotes

1. Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (2013), §247.

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid., §249.

5. Ibid., §248.

6. Ibid., §249.