Cardinal Koch: Judaism is the ‘mother soil from which Christianity sprang’
September 17, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: The prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity described Judaism as “the mother soil from which Christianity sprang.”
“One cannot be a good member of the family without appreciating and loving one’s mother,” Cardinal Kurt Koch said in an interview devoted to the new Vatican document on interreligious dialogue. “This means that it is impossible to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and, at the same time, an anti-Semite.”
Cardinal Koch called for a “deeper understanding of the profound unity between the Old and New Testaments—within Christian thought and in the Church’s liturgy.” The prelate added that “many Christians find themselves in a painful tension between their bond with the Jewish people and their ethical obligation toward those suffering in Gaza, especially the civilian victims. We must speak honestly with one another about this new situation.”
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