On Thursday April 25, 2013, the occasion of The Year of Faith and the 50th anniversary of Vatican Council II, the Pontifical Faculty of Theology at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) organized a conference entitled “Vatican Council II: Considerations on Certain Hermeneutic Conciliar Tendencies”, given by Archbishop Agostino Marchetto. The Apostolic Nuncio Mgr. Gabriel Caccia, Bishops Boulos Rouhana, Georges Abou Jaoude and Joseph Mouawad, the Superior General of the Lebanese Maronite Order, Rev. Fr. Abbot Tannous Nehme, the President of the University, Rev. Fr. Hady Mahfouz, the Dean of the Faculty, Rev. Fr. Antoine Ahmar, members of the University Council and a number of teachers and students attended the event.

Rev. Fr. Antoine Ahmar introduced Archbishop Marchetto by stating that he was the Apostolic Nuncio of Africa, Latin America and the Eastern Europe; remarking that he had also been appointed the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Rev. Fr. Antoine Ahmar added that Archbishop Marchetto was passionate about research dealing with church institutions and the Vatican Council.

Then, Archbishop Marchetto took the floor to explain about the teachings of Vatican Council II. Subsequently, he touched upon other issues related to this subject. He referred to the speech of Pope Benedict XVI, addressed to the members of the Vatican Dicastery in 2005, during which he called to “distinguish the hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture, and the hermeneutic of reform”.

Archbishop Marchetto highlighted the importance of the correct rule of interpretation that has to be based on historical and critical research, by stressing the importance of referring to the actual work of the Council and not simply to hat which is reported in the media. Moreover, he added that this interpretation should be centered on the proper interpretation and recognition of the Council’s teachings and implementation.

In conclusion, Rev. Fr. Hady Mahfouz presented a souvenir gift to Archbishop Marchetto.