Deborah Levine: Honoring an interfaith voice like no other

Photo By Stefano Spaziani/Europa Press via Getty Images / A nun prays the rosary after the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, in Vatican City, Rome, Italy. Pope Francis died at 7:35 a.m. this Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, was in charge of announcing in a video, accompanied by the Secretary of State, Pitro Parolin, and the substitute of the Secretary of State, Edgar Peña Parra, from the Casa Santa Marta the death of Pope Francis.

By Deborah Levine July 9, 2026 4 min read

The interfaith world is no doubt grieving at the recent passing of the Rev. Dr. John Pawlikowski, OSM. I sure am.

I first met John when I was director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee’s Chicago office about 40 years ago. I was brand new and staring pathetically out the window when this 6-foot-4 guy in priestly robes appeared at my door holding a book. “You’re going to need me, and my book,” he said. My response? “I have no idea who you are, but I’m sure you’re right.”

My ignorance didn’t deter him from working with me and being my mentor.

Together, we coordinated the 1990 National Workshop on Christian-Jewish Relations. Only later did I discover his impressive background. John was not only director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Program at Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union (CTU), he was a founding faculty member. (His students included Pope Leo XIV.) He was a presidential appointee to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, president of the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ) and a board member of the Parliament of the World’s Religions.