Theological Challenges: The Australian Catholic Church Response to the Innovations of Pope John Paul II Regarding the State of Israel

Abstract

This thesis presents the attitudes and perspectives of the Australian Catholic Church towards the modern State of Israel, and the theologies that these perspectives represent, as apparent during the tenure of Pope John Paul II. In doing so, it explores the theological perspectives of both Judaism and Christianity concerning the holiness of the Land of Israel and asks whether there is any connection between these perspectives and Pope John Paul II’s changes in terms of Vatican policy concerning the State of Israel. It achieves this through a detailed examination of the attitudes and reactions of the Australian Catholic Church towards the State of Israel and its interaction with the Australian Jewish communal leadership, exhibited through media and interviews with key individuals, during the tenure of Pope John Paul II (1978-2005), using the Australian Jesuit publication Eureka Street as an in-depth case study.