The Church of Vatican Council II

1
Chapter 11

• The Church of Vatican Council II
• 1950-1977

2
Spiritual and Moral Crisis

• End of World War II
• World, specifically Europe, in chaos
• Evils of the 20th century
• Mass bloodshed of two major wars
• Jewish Holocaust
• Nuclear Weapons
• Communism
• Colonialism
• Church as a voice of spiritual and moral concern

3
Pre-Vatican II Church

• Four main issues
• Nuclear Weapons
• Necessity to address the issue of warfare
• Communism
• In the wake of Nazism and Fascism, communism
  began to spread throughout the world
• Led to the subversion of the Church in many
  nations
• Global Community
• Movement away from colonialism to freedom and
  democracy for the nations of the world
• Liberation Movements
• Improved rights for women, minorities
• Liberation Theology beginning in Latin America

4
Angelo Roncalli

• Angelo Roncalli
• Born in a peasant family in northern Italy
• Archbishop Roncalli
• Served in Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey
• Began to dialogue with people from other
  religions
• Able to secure safe passage for European Jews
• Served in France after WWII
• Helped to solidify the Churchs presence in the
  new French republic
• Became Patriarch for Venice
• Elected Pope John XXIII in 1958
• Referred to himself as a transitional pope
• Called the Second Vatican Council in 1959

5
Second Vatican Council

• Twenty-third ecumenical council
• Only the second since the Council of Trent in
  1545
• Aggiornamento
• The spirit of updating the Church that Pope John
  XXIII wanted to underlie Vatican II
• open the windows and let in fresh air
• Updating the Church to fit the needs of the
  modern world
• October 11, 1962
• 2,500 bishops processed into St. Peters
• 500 from South America
• 118 from Africa
• 126 from Asia
• Four Sessions
• Produced Sixteen documents
• Four Constitutions (most important)
• Nine Decrees
• Three Declaration

6
Theology of Grace

• Pre-Vatican II
• dispensed by the Church
• only for Catholics
• could be earned
• Post-Vatican II
• a gift from God
• offered to all
• absolutely and completely free

7
The Church itself

• Pre-Vatican II
• the reign of God on earth
• not in need of reform
• mainly composed of its hierarchy
• Post-Vatican II
• a mystery a sign of Gods reign on earth
• always in need of reform
• the people of God

8
Major turning point

• Its not so much what the church teaches that
  matters . . .
• Its who the church is and how it behaves that
  signals the world about Gods love
• Its not so much what is the Church?
• Its how is the Church being behaving in the
  world?

9
What does this mean?

• Pre-Vatican II
• language was terse, technical, juridical
• it was often punitive -- Anathema sit
• believe this or else!
• follow this law, or else!
• a need to prove ones enemies wrong
• many condemnations and excommunications
• unforgiving to ones enemies

10
More on this . . .

• Post-Vatican II
• language is invitational come and see
• sounds like the writings of the early mothers and
  fathers of the church
• no penalties, no condemnations, only love
• the language of the Council the art of
  persuasion, of finding common ground
• win assent based on the soundness of our
  teachings, rather than on force

11
How do we see this?

• Vatican II moved away from top down thinking
  and behavior
• To a way of thinking that is more horizontal
• words like cooperation
• partnership
• and collaboration keep occurring
• Also, significantly, collegiality
• Repeatedly The People of God

12
How do we see this?

• Vatican II called the church to a way of
  ministry, less like controlling
• And more like serving!
• the bishop stands among his people as one who
  serves -- Decree on Bishops
• Immense pastoral implications
• Combined with revision of canon law
• we now seek pastoral solutions
• rather than legal solutions

13
How do we see this?

• Used words not heard in the Church for many
  centuries
• development of doctrine
• progress in matters of the church
• even evolution
• Left its own documents somewhat open ended
• which confounds those who want no reform
• who believe the Church is perfect as it is

14
How do we see this?

• Vatican II did not use the vocabulary of
  exclusion
• Condemned no one, despite pressure to
• Filled with words of friendship
• brother and sister churches
• men and women of good will
• First documents ever addressed to the whole world
• the world was in the room, after all!

15
How do we see this?

• Vatican II began to call all Catholics,
  Christians, and people of good will to active
  participation
• This replaced absolute passive observance of the
  liturgy, for example . . .
• Pastoral implications are huge
• how we pray is how we believe!
• how we believe is how we behave!
• We are actively involved in the world!

16
The Councils Impact

• Liturgy
• Eucharist as source summit
• Church Identity The People of God
• The Church in the Modern World
• Universal Call to Holiness
• Flowing from Baptism
• Role of Laity
• Marketplace Church
• Religious Freedom
• Informed conscience
• The Call to Discipleship
• We are in communion for mission!

17
Pope Paul VI

• Cardinal Giovanni Montini was elected Paul VI
  after the death of John XXIII
• First Cardinal appointed by John XXIII
• Immediately announced that Vatican II would
  continue
• Identified his four goals for the council
• The Church must impart to herself and to the
  world a new awareness of her inner nature
• There must be a renewal and reform of the Church
• The Church should work to bring about Christian
  unity
• The Church should be in dialogue with todays
  world

18
Paul VIs Legacy

• Ecumenism
• Actions aimed at dialogue and restoring unity
  among Christians
• Traveled to meet other Christian leaders
• First meeting with the Patriarch of
  Constantinople since 1054
• Apologized at Vatican II to the other Christian
  sects if Catholics had caused any harm
• Important moment of the Council
• Social Justice
• Supported efforts to bring justice to oppressed
  people, especially in Latin America