Why was Pope John Paul II’s visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome important?

In 1986, Pope John Paul II’s visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome was a landmark event because he became the first pontiff known to have entered a synagogue.1

During this historic visit, he embraced the chief rabbi, symbolizing a profound shift in Catholic-Jewish relations. This gesture was a central component of his broader, unprecedented effort to address the Roman Catholic Church’s history of antisemitism and to foster reconciliation with the Jewish people, whom he frequently referred to as "our elder brothers in faith". By engaging in such direct interfaith dialogue, he sought to help end nearly 2,000 years of oppression and violence inflicted upon Jews by Christians.1