Amina Makhlouf

At a time when the first signs of the future crisis were surfacing, the Council had to deal with the issue of the sanctity of marriage and of the family, highlighting personal love and developing the image of the family as a "community of life and love." The times have passed the Council's vision by. The interventions of John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

Together with Dignitatis Humanae, the Council’s Declaration is the second most important document for the Church’s encounter with the modern era, this according to Benedict XVI. Although it acknowledges history’s new challenges, it has created a completely new relationship between Judaism and Christianity, and it remains the basis for the positive approach to the Muslim world.

The Declaration on Religious Freedom, which was approved in the last phase of Vatican II, is one of the most discussed documents and certainly the most innovative of the Council. The State must give the person the freedom to choose what to believe.

Responding to Paul VI’s question: "Church of Christ what do you say about yourself?”, the search for answers rooted in tradition, rediscovering the word “communion” from the experience of early Christian communities, the definition of "People of God" from biblical exegesis.

On his way to Beirut, Benedict XVI answers journalists' questions, saying that he is "happy" and "sure" about the trip, and that he never thought of cancelling it. Christians, but also Muslims, are suffering and leaving Syria.