News - October 2022 RSS Feed

Historically, the way that the Catholic Church decides doctrinal debates and moral teaching is through dialogue among church authorities and officials--this is what is traditionally called a council or synod. The Catholic Church distinguishes between two types of councils, ecumenical councils and synods or provincial councils. Ecumenical councils are authoritative while synods or provincial councils are mere discussions that do not retain any authoritative status. In 1959 Pope John XXIII called for an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church that would later be known as Vatican II. As a result of this council, the Catholic Church would dramatically change or reconsider its stance towards the world, it’s celebration of the liturgy, salvation, and the roles of clergy and the laity. Last week, the Catholic Church marked the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council by Pope Saint John XXIII on Oct. 11, 1962. Here are ten important ways that the council changed the Church. 1 Vatican II presented a renewed vision of what it means to be the church. The council document “Lumen Gentium” on the nature of the church called the church a light for the world and the source of salvation. The document “Gaudium et Spes” on the church in the modern world said the church shares the joys and sufferings of the world. In Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope in Latin), the Church spoke explicitly about the current state of the modern world, the growth of the secular sphere, and the withdrawal of people from religion. It specified and clarified that the Church as a collective institution is not opposed to science, philosophy, technology, or culture as many might perceive religion to be in opposition to these things. Instead, it reaffirmed that She saw these as goods, and these goods only become corrupted when they in themselves are upheld as man’s highest ends. The council strongly and unabashedly declared that because man was made for communion with God, the goods of science, philosophy, technology, and culture are empty--insufficient when sought as final ends in themselves. Both documents refer to the church as the “people of God,” reflecting a new appreciation of lay people that surfaced repeatedly at the council. 2 It called the Eucharist the source and summit of the faith. The council’s document on the liturgy, “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” describes holy Communion as the main source of God’s grace for Catholics. In the Eucharist, Catholics encounter the person of Christ. In this way, it is truly the foundation of the church. 3 It reformed the liturgy. The changes to the Mass, perhaps the most well-known conciliar reform, promoted “full and active participation,” which led to the Mass being translated into the vernacular, or local language, and celebrated as a dialogue between the celebrant and the congregation. Other changes included affording women the ability to take a more active role in the liturgy, primarily in allowing girls to be altar servers (this was previously only an opportunity afforded to males). Further, the laity were given the chance to serve as eucharistic ministers, and lectors (roles formerly performed by members of the clergy only). 4 It said every Catholic is called to holiness and to be a missionary. Perhaps one of the greatest revivals of Vatican II was restoring what the council designated as “baptismal dignity.” The Church re-articulated that by virtue of the sacrament of baptism each member of the faithful incurred a priestly, prophetic, and kingly dignity. The priestly dignity is in reference to a call to holiness, the prophetic to a call to preach the word of the Gospel, and the kingly to be leaders in the Church. The document on missionary activity, “Ad Gentes,” expanded the view of how the church evangelizes. Missionaries were no longer sent just to remote areas of the world to spread the Good News; now all Catholics play a role in evangelizing through their lives. 5 It emphasized the importance of the family. According to “Lumen Gentium,” the family is the “Domestic Church.” While the faith of the church flourishes in parishes, dioceses and nations around the world, before all else is the family. It is the family that provides a strong foundation for each believer. 6 It reshaped the church’s relationship with other Christians and other religions. One other main theological evolution of the council was its consideration of salvation outside of the Catholic Church. Prior to Vatican II, it had long been the position of the Church that participation in the sacrament and belonging to the Catholic communion were essential for salvation. Though the Church still claims it is the medium through which God chose to extend salvation to mankind, it very explicitly suggested that salvation for those not belonging to the Catholic Church was certainly possible. At Vatican II, the church adopted a spirit of respect and dialogue toward other faith traditions. Ensuing dialogues have built bridges of understanding and strengthened relationships with Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims, Protestants, and others. 7 It promoted collaboration. The document “Christus Dominus” encouraged “collegiality,” or collaboration within the church. Bishops, priests, religious and lay people all work together in a way they didn’t in the past. Bishops collaborate through episcopal conferences like the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and state-level Catholic conferences. The council also encouraged “subsidiarity,” by which authority is divided up and decisions are made at the appropriate level. 8 It updated the church. . . . John XXIII saw Vatican II as a chance for renewal in the face of the “signs of the times” and said he called the council to open a window and let in fresh air. This resulted in reforms that made the church more accessible to the modern world, such as Mass in the vernacular and dialogue with other believers, and the openness of the council was reflected in the presence of men and women religious, lay people, and even non-Catholics among its official observers. 9. . . but it also returned the church to its roots. Vatican II also reformed the church through a back-to-basics approach. This meant renewed appreciation for Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, and the restoration of ancient traditions such as the permanent diaconate and the multi-step process for adults joining the church. 10 Then-Father Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) played a significant behind-the-scenes role. The bishops at Vatican II were assisted by brilliant theologians. These assistants, or “periti,” included Joseph Ratzinger, who assisted Cardinal Josef Frings of Cologne, Germany. Father Ratzinger was involved in drafting speeches, shaping documents, and defining the overall trajectory of the council.