Great news: Netzwerk Afrika Deutschland (NAD) has been informed that Archbishop Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki of the Cologne Archbishopric has been able to borrow the most important source of 1700 years of Jewish presence in German lands. The Archbishop has succeeded in borrowing a Decree of the year AD 321 from the Vatican issued by the Roman Emperor Constantine I (c.272-377), who reigned from 306 to 337. This permitted Jews to participate in town councils of the province and was the response to an enquiry by the Cologne Council. This is the document which forms the basis of this Jubilee Year. It will be the “Star” of an exhibition in the process of being prepared by the Archbishopric on aspects of Jewish history and culture. The exhibition is to be open from September 2021 until August 2022.
Even before the Jewish uprising against Roman rule in the year 66 (the Great War of 66-70), ending in defeat and dispersal, Jews had lived in the Roman Empire where the communities had thrived, thought to have formed 10% of the population, They had lived in Rome for 2000 years, longer than in any other European city.
It is interesting that it was Constantine The Great (c.272-337), who issued this decree, which showed his tolerance of Judaism. He was after all the great Emperor, who began a new era as the first Roman Emperor to adopt Christianity! Much of Constantine’s life was lived as a pagan. He had already favoured Christianity in 312, though he only declared himself to be a Christian when he was over the age of 40, attributing his successes alone to the Christian God. It was finally on his deathbed that he had himself baptised.
Constantine played a major part in the Edict of Milan in 313, which agreed to tolerate Christianity in the Roman Empire. Perhaps his Greek mother had part in this, as she is said to have declared herself a Christian the previous year. The Emperor also convened the First Council of Nicaea of Christian bishops in 325, which produced the Nicene Creed. Moreover Christianity owed him the holiest place in Christendom, for it was Constantine I who ordered the construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem at the site of Jesus’ tomb. His famous building works included the Old St. Peter’s Basilica for St. Peter’s last resting place. He gave Constantinople (Istanbul) its name, where he replaced the old gods with Christian symbols. The city subsequently served as the Empire’s capital for 1000 years.
It does seem that this year is a great time for real dialogue and exchange between representatives and members of the three monotheistic faiths!