Sir Sigmund renews call for world interfaith day as he receives honour

12 February 2010

Sir Sigmund Sternberg, the co-founder of the Three Faiths Forum, has renewed his call for the creation of a Nostra Aetate Day on which people of faith worldwide could celebrate their shared belief in God and the values they hold in common.

Sir Sigmund's plea for a day of celebration of faith was made at a luncheon at the residence of the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz.

At the lunch the Holy See's envoy to Britain presented him with a Star to his previously awarded Order of St Gregory the Great, one of the most distinguished of the papal orders of chivalry.

Sir Sigmund said there was Muslim support for his suggestion which was being taken to Rome by the former Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Cormac Murphy-O'Connor.

Responding to praise of his endeavours in the field of interfaith relations by the Papal Nuncio, Sir Sigmund expressed his hope that, during the forthcoming visit by Pope Benedict, the leader of the Catholic world would "follow the precedent he has set elsewhere, in Rome and Cologne, of visiting a synagogue, thus enabling the Jewish community to express its ongoing commitment to open and forward-looking dialogue between Jews and Catholics".

Nostra Aetate was the name of the document which issued from the Second Vatican Council in 1965 and which renounced ancient teachings about Jews as deicides.

It denounced anti-Semitism and declared it contrary to the teaching of the Church to discriminate against, show hatred towards or harass any person or people on the basis of colour, race or religion. It stated that all humanity was created in God's image.

Last week Sir Sigmund said: "Nostre Aetate isn't only for Jews and I think it would be an opportunity during the Pope's visit to announced that there will be each year a Nostre Aetate Day to bring the faiths together, to bring them nearer to the Catholic Church.

"It would show the Pope cares for other faiths. There are certain people who don't like the Pope's visit but they are a minority. The Pope is very good at meeting people.

"He has a very strong personality. I have known for many years. When I met him he was always on the side of the pope. "I am a papal knight and I recently got a Star which is very unusual. I am the only Jewish person whose wife is also a papal dame. As far as I know she is the only Jewish papal dame.

"My wife helped me a great deal. She went with me to Auschwitz to meet the nuns [to mediate in a dispute with Jewish authorities] and it was a very successful meeting.

"The nuns established themselves in Auschwitz to pray for Jews and I helped to resolve the situation. The nuns moved to another place nearby. It shows that with discussion you can resolve all difficulties."