The Second Vatican Council and the Reaction of the Churches of the Arab Countries to the Nostra Aetate Declaration

The Second Vatican Council was an extraordinary moment of renewal for the Catholic Church. It was the first 'ecumenical' council, with religious leaders from around the world, including representatives of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches and the Latin American and African Churches in attendance. It was the council that changed the position towards Judaism, now considered inextricably linked to Christianity. The Jews were no longer either 'the people who killed God' or to be considered accursed. This article will highlight the reactions of the Arab and North African Churches to these major changes, a topic still little discussed but nonetheless of great importance and relevance.