VATICAN II - Gaudium Et Spes_2

8/21/2019 VATICAN II - Gaudium Et Spes_2

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Gaudium et Spes

The Pastoral Constitution on theChurch in the Modern World


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Outline of Presentation

1. Background Context of the document

2. Story of the docs drafting

3. Structure of final draft4. Significant Shifts and Innovations

5. Compromises and Weaknesses

6. Remaining Issues for the Church7. The Enduring Symbolic Value of GS

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General Remarks

not among the preparatory documents forthe council

emerged from the floor of the council

by far the longest of the sixteendocuments

the only document published withsubtitles

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promulgated the very last working dayof the Council

addressed to all humanity (not just toCatholics, or Christians)

came to be symbolic of the Councilsstyledialogic

collaborative

participative

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Previous Social TeachingEncyclicals

from Rerum Novarum(1891) to Pacem inTerris (1963)

using a deductive methodology, these

documents attempted to ground social teachingon the prior foundation of a philosophical andtheological anthropology

couched in the categories of Scholastic Theology

appealed to natural law

GS will come to use a more inductivemethod (but with elements of the old)

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History of the Drafting

at the very end of the first session (4Dec 1962), a plan for the Councilsprogram was proposed by Cardinal

Josef Suenensa focus not only on the church ad intra

(the internal life of the church)

but also on the church ad extra (thechurch and its mission in the world)

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History (contd)

the long list of topics for the councilsdiscussion was then revised andreduced according to this plan

no. 17 on the list was Schema XVII

later became Schema XIII

then finally Gaudium et Spes

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Ad intra / Ad extraDistinction

While this distinction was helpful for dividingup the workload of the Council,

it can be a misleading distinction

IF it is taken to mean that church andworld are like oil and water

This issue of how to best name therelationship plagues the whole debate

and remains somewhat unresolved in GS

The world is not something apart from thechurch, nor the church from the world

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The Drafting Commission

A Mixed Commission

drawn from members of the

Doctrinal Commission

Commission for the Lay Apostolate

but various sub-commissions were setup to deal with the many sections

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the various drafts were prepared inFrench, and then translated into Latin

fourth session: translations provided in

the major European languages (firsttime)

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Theological tensions

a significant influence of the French-speaking theologians

Chenu, Congar

tension with the theological vision ofthe German-speaking theologians

Rahner, Ratzinger

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Structure of the final version

Preface and Introduction (1-3; 4-10)

Part 1: The Church and the Human Vocation

Introduction: Responding to the Promptings of the Spirit (11)

Chapter 1: The Dignity of the Human Person

Chapter 2: The Human Community

Chapter 3: Humanitys Activity in the Universe

Chapter 4: Role of the Church in Todays World

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Structure (contd)

Part 2: Some More Urgent Problems

Preface (46)

Chapter 1: The Dignity of Marriage and the Family (47-52)

Chapter 2: Proper Development of Culture (53-62)

Chapter 3: Economic and Social Life (63-72) Chapter 4: The Political Community (73-76)

Chapter 5: Fostering Peace and Establishment of aCommunity of Nations (77-90)

Conclusion: Role of Individual Christians and of LocalChurches (91-93)

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A Pastoral Constitution

John XXIIIs original desire that theCouncil have a pastoral focus

Special footnote on the significance of

title:The constitution is called pastoral because, while

resting on doctrinal principles, it sets out the relationof the church to the world and to the people of today.

In Part I, therefore, the pastoral emphasis is notoverlooked, nor is the doctrinal emphasis overlookedin Part II.

The doctrinal principles (Part 1) and the pastoral

applications (Part 2) are intertwined 14


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Four Interrelated Levels ofDoctrine

1. Anthropology

the nature of the human person

GS, 3:It is the human person, therefore,

which is the key to this discussion, eachindividual human person in here of histotality, body and soul, heart andconscience, mind and will.

2. Christian Ethics in ContemporarySociety

the nature of moral human action15


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3. Ecclesiology

the nature and mission of the church

GS, 3:The church is not motivated by earthly

ambition but is interested in one thing onlytocarry on the work of Christ under the guidanceof the Holy Spirit.

Gaudium et Spes as complement to Lumen

Gentium

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4. Christology

the human and divine natures of Christ

any teaching on the nature of the human

person is to be grounded in teaching aboutChrist as the model for human personhood

GS, 10:The church believes that the key,

the centre and the purpose of the whole ofhuman history is to be found in its Lordand Master.

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Interrelated Leitmotifs

solidarity

dialogue

reading the signs of the times

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Solidarity

GS, 1:The joys and hopes, the grief andanguish of the people of our time, especially ofthose who are poor or afflicted, are the joys andhopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of

Christ as well. Nothing that is genuinely humanfails to find an echo in their hearts. For theirs is acommunity of people united in Christ and guidedby the Holy Spirit in their pilgrimage towards the

Fathers kingdom, bearers of a message ofsalvation for all humanity. That is why theycherish a feeling of deep solidarity with thehuman race and its history.

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Dialogue

the motif of the divine-human dialogue

the motif of churchs dialogue with theworld

a church open to learning (GS 44)

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Paul VI and the Dialogue motif

Encyclical Ecclesiam Suam

6 August 1964 (during the third session)

the influence of personalistphilosophies

Gabriel Marcel

Martin Buber

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GS, 3

And so the council can find no moreeloquent expression of this peoples solidarity,respect and love for the whole human family,

of which it forms a part, than to enter intodialogue with it about all these variousproblems, throwing the light of the Gospel onthem and supplying humanity with the saving

resources which the church has received fromits founder under the promptings of the HolySpirit.

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GS 92

Four concentric circles of dialogue

dialogue within the church itself

dialogue with other Christians

dialogue with other religious believers

dialogue with non-believers

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Reading the signs of thetimes

starting with contemporary context (inductivemethod)

attentiveness to the God of history

GS 4GS 11

GS 44

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GS 4

To discharge this function [with the guidance of theParaclete Spirit, to continue the work of Christ (GS, 3)],the church has the duty in every age of examining thesigns of the times and interpreting them in the light of the

gospel, so that it can offer in a manner appropriate toeach generation replies to the continual humanquestionings on the meaning of this life and the life tocome and on how they are related. There is a need, then,to be aware of, and to understand, the world in which we

live, together with its expectations, its desires and itsfrequently dramatic character.

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GS 11

Impelled by its belief that it is being led by the Spiritof the Lord who fills the whole earth, Gods peopleworks to discern the true signs of Gods presence andpurpose in the events, needs and desires which it

shares with the rest of modern humanity. It is faithwhich shows everything in a new light and clarifiesGods purpose in his complete calling of the humanrace, thus pointing the mind towards solutions whichare fully human

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GS 11 (contd)

The councils first aim is to subject the values mosthighly regarded today to this light and to relate themto their divine source, since these values are verygood insofar as they proceed from the God-given

character of the human person, but are in need ofpurification from the distortion they often receivefrom the corruption of the human heart

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GS 11 (contd)

What is the churchs view of woman and man?What does it consider is to be commended inconstructing todays society? What is the ultimatesignificance of human activity in the world as a

whole? These questions require answers which willshow more clearly that the people of God and thehuman race of which it is a part are of service toeach other, and that the churchs mission is seen tobe a religious one and by that very fact anoutstandingly human one.

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GS 44

It is for Gods people as a whole, with thehelp of the Holy Spirit, and especially forpastors and theologians, to listen to the

various voices of our day, discerning themand interpreting them, and to evaluate themin the light of the divine word, so that therevealed truth can be increasingly

appropriated, better understood and moresuitably expressed.

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GS 62

meaning/expression of doctrine

evaluating and interpreting everything with anauthentically Christian sense of values

it is hoped that more of the laity will receive

adequate theological formation and that some ofthem will dedicate themselves professionally to thesestudies and contribute to their advancement. But forthe proper exercise of this role, the faithful, both

clerical and lay, should be accorded a lawful freedomof inquiry, of thought, and of expression, temperedby humility and courage in whatever branch of studythey have specialized.

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Three Major Innovations

1. primarily a Biblical vision

2. an increased historical awareness

3. a relating of the Churchs mission andits social vision

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1. A Biblical Vision

a biblical vision more than naturallaw

an appeal to revelation

and secondarily an appeal to the orderthat God has inscribed in human nature

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2. Historical Awareness

Deductive methodologyfrom general unchanging principles to their

applicationfrom abstract natural law to concrete new situations

the rise of historical consciousness (19-20thcenturies)an appreciation of the changing historical

conditions of social, cultural and political spheres

all elements of the human situation areconditioned by history

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Inductive methodology

from an examination of the concrete situationto the application of the Gospel in thatsituation

What are the features problems of thecontemporary world that require solutions?GS 5:The human race is moving from a more

static view of things to one which is more dynamicand evolutionary, giving rise to new combinations

of problems which call for new analyses andsyntheses.

an emerging methodology of the council

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3 l i h Ch h


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3. Relating the Churchsmission and its social vision

Lumen Gentium: the church ad intra

looking to within

what is the nature of the church?

Gaudium et Spes: the church ad extra

looking to outside

given the nature of the church, what is the

mission of the church?

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The Mission of the Church

the religious mission of the church

to proclaim and to realizethe Reign of God

The Reign of God is to permeate all

aspects of human life and society

Shift: from church as an end in itself

to church as a servant of the Reign of God

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GS, 40-42

Part One, Chapter IV

summary of the basis of the churchssocial mission

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F S ifi T k


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Four Specific Tasksof the Churchs Proper Missionto defend human dignity

to promote human rights

to cultivate the unity of the humanfamily

to make clear the meaning of humanlife

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R l ti f th Ch h t th


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Relation of the Church to theReign of God

the church is not equivalent to the Reign ofGod

related, however, in two waysthe Reign of God transcends every political

authoritytherefore, the religious mission is to critique political

ideology

the Reign of God relates to diverse dimensions ofsocial and economic realitytherefore, the religious mission is related to the right

ordering of the social and economic order

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S f Shift i Ch h


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Summary of Shifts in ChurchTeaching

Methodology

from deductive to inductive

Historical Consciousness

from ahistorical to an historicalapproach

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Evolutionary not static view of reality

GS, 5: The human race is moving from amore static view of things to one which is

more dynamic and evolutionary, givingrise to new combinations of problemswhich call for new analyses andsyntheses.

Modernity

From rejection of modernity toengagement with its strengths

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Shifts (contd)

The world

from the world as Godless to the world asthe place of Gods redeeming activity

Natural Law parallel to the inductive/more historical

approach

Notion of the human person a move away from an eternal nature of

the human person, to one historicallysituated

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Church and State

from achieving Christendom to theChurch as leaven, as prophetic witness

Conscience War

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Marriage: from contract to covenant

previous legalistic framework

contract

shift to a personalist frameworkintimate partnership and covenant

the ends of marriage

not only reproduction and the rearing ofchildren

also conjugal love

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Other Docs the social mission

(1) Decree on LaityLaity have a twofold roleto work for evangelization

to renew the temporal order

PresuppositionChrists work of redemption is primarily related to the

salvation of the human being

but involves the renewal of the whole temporal order(AA, 5-7)

a shift in the theology of grace: from extrinsic tointrinsic

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(2) Decree on the Churchs Missionary Activityto work for Christs redemption includes the right

ordering of social and economic affairs

the churchs missionary activity involvescollaborating with all peoples

for eliminating hunger, disease, ignorance

for establishing peace and justice and human workingconditions for workers (AG, 12)

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Some Weaknesses and Open


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Some Weaknesses and OpenQuestions

overly optimistic about progresstoo 60s

not enough emphasis on evil and the

effects of original sin

ecological crisis not mentioned

in fact, a perpetuation of some of the

mentality causing it

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Little attention is given in the document toenvironmental pollution, the depletion of non-renewable resources, and general environmentalexploitation. The council fathers language

concerning nature and the relation of humankind tonature is rather disturbing. Humanity shouldconsolidate its control over creation (9), subject tohimself the earth and all that it contains (34),subdue the earth (57), and hold increasingdomination over nature (63) The council fathersseem oblivious both to the environmental problemsalready evident in the world and the impact offraming the human/nature relationship in terms of

domination. (Lois Ann Lorentzen)48

Issues taken off the agenda


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Issues taken off the agendaby Paul VI

divorce

mixed marriages

birth control

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