Ahead of Yom Kippur, U.S. bishops highlight ‘deep spiritual bonds’ between Catholics, Jews

The U.S. bishops this week underscored the “deep spiritual bonds” between Catholics and Jews and the need to build “genuine friendship and understanding” between the two religious groups, with the message coming ahead of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

The holy day for Jews involves fasting and atonement and is held in late September or early October. In 2026 it begins at sunset on Sept. 20 and ends by nightfall on Sept. 21.

In a video message released Sept. 18, Scranton Bishop Joseph Bambera, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ ecumenical committee, noted that the Jewish holiday “invites a searching examination of the year that has passed and a commitment to the year ahead.”

“At the heart of this observance is the recognition that our relationships with God and with one another call us continually to reflection, repentance, and renewal to consider how we can live more faithfully and more generously,” he said.

The relationship between Catholics and Jews, Bambera said, is “not simply a matter of dialogue” but rather is “rooted in the deep spiritual bonds” between the two ancient religions.

He noted the shared patrimony between the…