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INTRODUCTION: the Second Vatican Council Was T ADVENT SERIES – DIGNITY/NY REMEMBERING THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL SESSION ONE: INTRODUCTION: The Second Vatican Council was the 22nd Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church, which met in Rome, with the general meetings taking place in St. Peter’s Basilica. It met in four periods – in the autumn of 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965 – for ten weeks in each session. The first period was under the leadership of Pope John XXIII; the other three under the direction of Pope Paul VI. It discussed a wide range of topics. Some of the more hotly debated concerns were: 1. Use of Latin in the liturgy – which eventually evolved beyond the language issue to one of full participation of the whole assembly in the liturgy – not just a “clerical” thing. 2. The relationship between tradition and scripture with wider implications for Biblical exegesis and the role of prior doctrinal statements in the development of doctrine. 3. The relationship to the Jews, to other Christians, and to non‐Christian religions. 4. Religious liberty and the role of individual conscience in the life of a person. 5. The relationship between bishops and the Pope, i.e. collegiality 6. The role of the laity in the Church 7. The role of the Church in the world In all of these issues there was a consistent 10 to 15% minority which objected to what eventually emerged from the council. In addition, there were four issues that were viewed by both Popes (both John XXIII and Paul VI) to be so explosive and divisive that they were withheld from consideration by the Council. These included: 1. Clerical celibacy, 2. Birth Control, 3. Reform of the Curia, and 4. the idea of a Synod of Bishops Underneath all of these issues there were three over‐arching issues: A. The circumstances under which change in the church is appropriate and the arguments with which it can be justified – development of doctrine (Cardinal Newman) and aggiornamento (John XXIII, up‐ dating) B. The relationship in the Church of the “center to the periphery” – how authority is properly distributed between the papacy and the rest of the Church – vis‐à‐vis Bishops: collegiality C. The style or model according to which that authority should be exercised – dialogue, the pastoral approach, openness to the Spirit working in the world (as opposed to the judicial, juridical and legislative model) In other words, all issues about identity – how to maintain one’s identity while dealing with the inevitability of change; and then how to make it effective in new but recognizably authentic ways. In redefining that identity the Second Vatican Council was seen as … 1. The end of the Constantinian Era; 2. The End of Medieval Christendom; 3. The End of the Reformation/Counter‐Reformation; 4. The End of what Fr. Murray calls “The Long nineteenth century”. The council concluded by issuing 16 documents. A listing of these documents give a good overview of the major topics, discussed, debated and promulgated by the Church Fathers. It issued four Constitutions: 1. On Sacred Liturgy 2. On the Church 3. On Divine Revelation 4. On the Church in the Modern World It issued nine Decrees 1. On the Mass Media 2. On the Catholic Eastern Churches 3. On Ecumenism 4. On Bishops 5. On the Renewal of Religious Life 6. On the Training of Priests 7. On the Apostolate of the Laity 8. On Missionary Activity 9. On the Ministry and Life of Priests It promulgated three declarations 1. On Christian Education 2. On Non‐Christian Religions 3. On Religious Liberty [Note: The standard English‐language commentary on these documents is Herbert Vorgrimler, ed. “Commentary on the Documents of Vatican II”, 5 vols. (New York: Herder and Herder, 1967‐1969). Helpful and reader friendly is Adrian Hastings, ed. “A Concise Guide to the Documents of the Second Vatican Council” 2 vols. (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1968‐1969)] In the end, FUNDAMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COUNCIL was that it marked the end of Western Christianity. VATICAN COUNCIL II COMPARED TO PRIOR COUNCILS: Of the twenty one ecumenical councils held prior to Vatican, they can be broken down into two groups. The first 8 councils were all held in Greek cities; were conducted in Greek; were convoked by the Emperor; no Pope attended any of them; Western influence itself often small and rarely determinative. [Constantine called the first: Council of Nicea 325 – to confront the Arian heresy; Constantinople IV the last – to deal with the Photian schism.] The remaining 13 were all held in the West; were conducted in Latin; were convoked by the Pope (with the exception of the Council of Constance); the Eastern church was basically absent They were the SAME in that they were all assemblies principally of Bishops that made authorative decisions binding on the whole Church. But other than that Vatican II was absolutely UNIQUE. First it had a number of unique characteristics: its massive size (considered the largest MEETING ever held); its remarkable international breadth (it had participants from all over the globe); the scope and variety of issues it addressed (It was not simply limited to “solving a problem” as the other councils). In addition there were some new elements: a. the decision to admit non‐Catholic observers (some 182 by the last session) was unprecedented. b. the role of the media: the ill‐kept secret and sometimes acrid debates and confrontations in the council made headlines daily. What intrigued everyone was the merging possibility of change in posture and practice within the Church that just a few months before seemed set in stone attracted wide attention and admiration from around the world c. the decisions reached had immediate impact. For example: on Nov 29, 1964 (48 years ago tomorrow) the first Sunday of Advent, when believers went to Church, for the first time they heard it in their own language. d. in the past decisions were directed basically to the clergy. Vatican II was addressed to literally EVERYONE. In fact, for the first time, it was addressed to the whole world. Secondly, the Second Vatican Council embodied three grand theological themes: A. aggiornamento (up‐dating, modernizing) – dealing with the present B. development (unfolding, evolution) – dealing with the future C. ressourcement (return to the sources ) – dealing with the past This was in stark contrast to the classicist world view that saw human living in static, abstract and immutable terms. Thirdly, the Second Vatican Council broke with the two fundamental assumptions of all previous councils. These assumptions were … …that councils were judicial bodies that heard cases and rendered judgment, with anybody found guilty duly punished. …that councils were legislative bodies that issued ordinances to which were attached as with any laws penalties for failure to comply. The result: prior Councils always ended with CANONS (e.g. the Council of Trent had 135 canons). And each canon by its very nature did not deal with what a person may believe, think or feel – but at what they “say” or “do” – observable behavior; with each canon based on “power words” – threats, intimidation, surveillance, punishments – words of a superior speaking to an inferior. Vatican II was entirely different in issuing its Constitutions, Decrees and Declarations. It issued no canons, no anathemas, no verdicts of “guilty as charged” Fourth, the Second Vatican Council also abandoned the more recent scholastic approach: it moved from the dialectic of winning an argument to the dialogue of finding common ground; it moved from abstract metaphysics to interpersonal conversation; it moved from grand conceptual schemes (summae) to the humble acceptance of mystery; it developed a ‘pastoral’ language which is the panegyric: the painting of an idealized portrait in order to inspire and excite admiration and appropriation; its goal is the winning of internal assent, not the imposition of conformity from without. Fifth, the Second Vatican Council gave birth to a whole new set of words, words that had never been used by a council before; and in fact words that had never been used by the papacy, the Curia, or any other official documents. 1. horizontal words (equity words): the people of God, brothers and sisters, the priesthood of all believers 2. words of reciprocity: collegiality, cooperation, partnership, collaboration, dialogue, conversation 3. humility words: pilgrim Church, servant 4. change words: development, progress, evolution 5. empowerment words: call‐to‐action, participation 6. interiority words: charism, joy, hope, grief, anguish, conscience, inward journey, call to holiness THESE THEN BECOME THE WORDS THAT EMBODY THE ‘SPIRIT” OF VATICAN II. VATICAN COUNCIL II AS THE ‘BIG MEETING’ 1. CALLING THE COUNCIL Most cardinals and theologians were stunned by the announced council – because they thought there would never be a need for one. After the First Vatican Council, the Pope could solve all problems. John XXIII had two aims when he announced it: a. to promote the enlightenment, edification and joy of the entire Christian people b. to extend a renewed cordial invitation to the faithful of the separated communities to participate with us in this quest for unity and grace, for which so many souls long for in all parts of the world. In his diary he noted that he intended the council as an invitation to spiritual renewal for the Church and for the world. 2. PREPARING FOR THE COUNCIL There were two phases to the preparation of the Council: Phase 1 starting in May, 1959 (done by June 4, 1960) with the establishment of the Ante‐Preparatory Commission had the task of collecting from the Bishops of the world what issues should be discussed and actions to be taken. A letter was sent out to all clerics with the rank of bishop or higher and the superior‐generals of the religious orders of men.
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