Pope John XXIII signs the bull convoking

the Second Vatican Council

Vatican II

Gaudium et Spes Joy and Hope

1. To energize Catholics

2. To update Church institutions

3. To encourage unity of all Chrisitans

4. To reach out to the whole world Q

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Vatican II

“It is the goal of this most sacred council to intensify the daily

growth of Catholics in Christian living.”

“To nurture whatever can contribute to the unity of all

who believe in Christ.”

“The Council has special reasons for judging it a duty to provide

for the renewal and fostering of the Liturgy.”

Paul VI’s outline given in the opening speech of the 2nd session

QUICK REVIEW…continued

Who brought two major ideas to the council?

Ad Intra Ad Extra

Vatican II

Archbishop Suenens Pope John XXIII

1963 a document is prepared (Schema # 17)

“No document of Vatican II changed so radically, so many

times, as this one.”

Eventually finds its way to the floor in the 3rd session, 1964

At the start of Council 70

documents – No Plan

John XXIII tells Suenens

to put a plan together

Vatican II

Archbishop

Suenens

Pope John XXIII

• Written largely by Bernard Haring, CSSR

• Positive response for the most part

• Long list of revisions nonetheless

Two-fold division

• Main text

• Appendices 1. Human person in society

2. Marriage and family

3. Culture

4. Economic and Social life

5. The community of nations

and peace

Problem

How does the Church relate what is said in the

main document to the appendices?

If the appendices are part of the main – OK

If not- what authority do they have?

The topics of the appendices can change radically

and quickly.

Some say: don’t speak to issues that are so easily

subject to change.

Some say: Don’t speak to issues that are so

easily subject to change.

Others say: Precisely because they are difficult

issues, we need to address them.

What to do?

Inspired by:

Marie Dominque Chenu, OP; it is now called Schema #13

Chenu’s Theology

• Incarnation did not happen just once

• In every period of history, Church is being called in new

ways to be present to the world.

• Council sees world of men and women, human

progress as a good thing.

Debate began September 24,

1964

There were over 20,000 modi

(change)

The document was voted

section by section

(change)

To say it was a progressive

majority vs conservative

minority not accurate

(change)

Suenens sounded like a

conservative on Mary

Ottaviani sound like a

progressive when it came to

condemning war

Re-write of course!

This time the writer is:

Father Pierre Haubtmann (French Sociologist)

What to do?

Debate began September 24,

1964

There were over 20,000 modi

(change)

The document was voted

section by section

(change)

To say it was a progressive

majority vs conservative

minority not accurate

(change)

Suenens sounded like a

conservative on Mary

Ottaviani sound like a

progressive when it came to

condemning war

Re-write of course!

Chenu had been teaching for years that

the Church must read “the signs of the

times.”

He spoke of toothing stones; that the

Church must find the toothing stones in

the world where the Church could latch

on to the world around it.

What to do?

Debate began September 24, 1964

There were over 20,000 modi

The document was voted section by section

To say it was a progressive majority vs

conservative minority not accurate

• Suenens sounded like a conservative on Mary

• Ottaviani sound like a progressive when it

• came to condemning war

Re-write of course!

Major Question for Gaudium et Spes:

Should the Church dialogue with the world?

OR

Should the Church proclaim Christ to the world?

It’s really a question of method

Much agreement that Church needs to address

the world.

Major Question for Gaudium et Spes:

Gaudium et Spes was the instrument used by the

Bishops to deal with the modern world.

Part I

The Church and Man’s calling (4 Chapters)

Part II

Some problems of Special Urgency (5 Chapters)

Dialogue = correlational theology = Thomistic View

Proclaim = kerygmatic theology=Augustinian view =

Truth speaks for itself

Major Teachings re: The Church

Church must address whole of humanity on issues that

are of concern to all.

Church is a Servant Church. Not motivated by earthly

ambition. Under the urging of the Spirit it witnesses to

the truth

Church must read the ‘signs of the times’ and interpret

according to Gospel

Church must counter error by presenting positive

version of truth. Witness it.

Major Teachings re: Church

Paul VI’s outline given in the Opening Speech of the Second Session

(change)

“It is the goal of this most sacred council to intensify the daily growth of Catholics

in Christian living

(change)

“To nurture whatever can contribute to the unity of all who believe in Christ “

“The Council has special reasons for judging it a duty to provide for the renewal

and fostering of the Liturgy.”

Church must act as a leaven in society; challenge idea that

religion and demands of justice and peace cannot mix.

Church must be involved with political, economic and social

order. Political and Church are autonomous and

independent.

Church may never preach or teach in manner at odds with the

gospel or welfare of humankind

Church can never tie itself to one culture

Laity should participate in the entire life of the Church

Marriage and Family

Major Change in Theology

Tradition taught: two ends of marriage

Procreation of children

Well being and relationship of the spouses

Vatican II teaches

Love and fruitfulness are two ends of marriage

Do not subordinate one to the other

Tradition teaches

Legalistic point of view—marriage is a contract

Vatican II teaches

Biblical point of view – marriage is a covenant

October 5, 1965 Pope Paul VI goes to UN and condemns war.

“No more war; war never again”

Bishops are debating war and peace in the Vatican

Choose to condemn war; follow John XXIII, Pacem in Terris

• Indiscriminate destruction of cities or areas “a crime against God

and humanity.”

• Described Arms Race as “one of the greatest curses on the human

race.”

US and British Bishops warned of ‘pacifist tendencies.’

Gaudium et Spes

Promulgated by Paul VI on Dec. 7, 1965

Vote: 1,710 for; 480 against

The Council Fathers ordered that

a new rite for concelebration be

drawn up

“all should hold in great

esteem the liturgical life of the

diocese centered around the

bishop, especially in his

cathedral church; they must

be convinced that the pre-

eminent manifestation of the

Church consists in the full

active participation of all

God’s holy people in the same

liturgical celebrations.”

Summary “The notion of the church as a rigorously disciplined and

monolithic enterprise is largely myth, and modern myth to boot.

What is not myth, however, is the dramatic change in the self-

understanding of Catholics brought about by the council. For at

least two centuries Catholicism saw itself as a bulwark against

the spread of pernicious liberal and democratic principles, and

held fast to a monarchical and aristocratic worldview in which

the church enjoyed a privileged civic, cultural, and political role.

At Vatican II, the bishops called off this long and ultimately futile

struggle against modernity. Not without ambivalence, they

reconciled themselves to the separation of church and state

and to the idea of religious liberty. They then went further,

extending the hand of fellowship to other Christians, to non-

Christian religions, and especially to the Jewish community,

while warmly endorsing human rights and aspirations for

democratic self-determination. Even the pursuit of technological

and material progress, long viewed with world-weary

skepticism, was encouraged. (Commonweal, October 2012)

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And so a church once narrowly focused on the world to come

suddenly discovered much to praise in the world at hand. Most

important, perhaps, the laity was now urged to bring its faith

into the secular sphere, to transform a fallen world rather than

retreat from it. This effort at aggiornamento, or updating, looked

back to certain neglected aspects of the tradition

(ressourcement) for inspiration and guidance. That project was

in part an effort to find within the church’s own traditions

theological and philosophical sources that could more firmly

ground and thus defend what was morally sound in the modern

world’s understanding of human dignity and individual liberty.

SUMMARY

Pope John XXIII signs the bull convoking

the Second Vatican Council