Theology paper #1 Vatican II council

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The Vatican II Adam McGowan X03506367 11/15/18 1000c Theology

The Vatican II was an ecumenical council that met and commence in Vatican City from October 11, 1962, until December 8, 1965. The council was invoked by John XXIII, an action that caught many people by surprise, as he called the council as a convening for the universal church. John XXIII had two main objectives, to provide and affirm an adaptation of the church, and of a disappearing apostolate to an everchanging, transforming world, and to recreate a unity to the Christians, which John XIII thought would be an effect of this council. The pope didn’t want the council to be a council that spoke of fighting adversaries known as other religions, or to be a war meeting to convert the world, but to be a peace meeting, in which the scholars, priests, bishops, and pastors that attended to find a way to express Christianity to the world, seeing as before, Christianity was not seen as the pope had hoped. It was here names such as Kar Ranhner, Joseph Ratzinger, became prominent, with Joseph Ratzinger becoming a Pope. The Vatican II council represents a major experience in the very existence of the Church of the twentieth century. The world as a whole had just come out of World War Two, and it was clear after this war, that there needed to be changes done to the church practices. Prior to this world war, the church had been observed as an impenetrable fortress, a kingdom that was close to falling apart from the inside as well as the outside and needed the values of integrity and engaging the world in terms of missionary activity (Vatican) . Pope John wanted to reinforce that missionary command, but he also wanted to create an atmosphere of conversation, where the church would participate in all the forces of the modern world. It was from this meeting, that sixteen documents were created, arranging a foundation for the church that exists today. It was seen as such due to

constituting for a vital era of both universal and church history. The Vatican II council has been seen as the close of the Tridentine period, and the new beginning of a phase for the church, a phase in which the church began its evangelizing mission and forging the first steps to the reformation (Vatican) . On January 25, 1959, inside the Basilica of St. Paul, a motion was passed. This motion called for the direct preparation of a council by the Roman Curia, and the separation of the diverse ecclesial experiences common to the life of the church. After the Curia finished their work, the council called between two thousand, and three thousand bishops, scholars, theologian, and pastors for a series of sessions at St. Peter’s Basilica (Vatican) . It was these men that created the sixteen documents that are the foundation for the church. The main theme for these documents was suggested to be reconciliation. The council itself needed to decide as to whether they were to move completely forward from old tradition and practices and create new practices and embrace the world as an old, but a new religion. John XIII saw the Vatican II as an opportunity to update the church and bring to light things that needed to change in the church. The opposing view, however, was of doubt that the faith known as Christianity could remain the same, unchanged religion if new ideas and practices were added, so it was believed that there was minimum need for reform and that the Vatican II council should just continue off of what the council of Trent and the Vatican I council did. One of the first documents created by this council was the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, also known as Lumen Gentium. The word “Lumen Gentium” means “light for the nations”, or more

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specifically, Christ is the light for nations. Because of this statement, the first point means that because Christ is the light for all nations, the church is called to bring that same light to all of mankind. The Dogmatic constitution also shows a call to the holiness as well through/as well as a fully human life. The Church’s calling to be the light for the nations demands the responsibility on the part of the all the loyal to open themselves to Christ’s transforming love so that the world can grasp what humankind looks like when its full potentiality is realized in relationship with God in Christ. The Lumen Gentium also speaks on the messianic offices and the liturgy. The message being conveyed was that those who were liturgically called and reborn in Christ’s love would be more aware of their calling as prophets, kings, priests, brothers, and theologians. Charisms are also a big part of what the Lumen Gentium. The Lumen Gentium also emphasized the importance of family. As previously stated, the church could be called family. This was a device used to unite the church and the faith as a unit. Charisms are favors of grace for the purpose of completing a mission of service. The charism would be among the faithful and would be essential for the advance of the “New Evangelization”. The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church reveals the endeavor of the council fathers to utilize biblical terms rather than juridical groupings to describe the church. The treatment of the tiered structure of the church counterweights slightly the monarchical importance of the first Vatican Council’s teaching on the papacy by giving power to the role of the bishops. The teaching of the constitution on the nature of people not in the order was anticipated to stipulate the basis for the call of those people not active in the church to holiness and to share in the missionary job of the church. By giving the church

the description of being as the people of God, a traveler people, the council fathers provided the theological rationalization for changing the self-justifying and obstinate stance that had portrayed much of Catholic belief and exercise since the Protestant Reformation. Another document that had significance was the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, also known as the Die Verbum. This doctrine goes to re-count the role of scripture and tradition in the communal origin known as the word of God. This doctrine was written mainly as an affirmation of the cost of the scripture for the salvation of unbelievers and Christians, whilst preserving an open attitude towards the scholarly study of the bible. The importance of the Die Verbum is its importance as an introduction of the Bible’s role in the divine revelation, and as an opening to what the council wanted to broaden upon ( Historical Background of Vatican II) . The Die Verbum also helps the readers see the scripture through the mind and view of the church. The Die Verbum teaches one main thing; Christ is the main and fundamental revelation of God. Instead of seeing the Catholic Faith as a group of distinct doctrinal figures to be systematized systematically, the Council strove to label all facets of Catholic faith and custom in relative to Christ, It put Christ firmly at the center (Vatican). The constitution on the Sacred Liturgy helps to affirm the main principle that those who are not Christian but work and participate in mass to be allowed to continue. This authorized substantial alterations in the texts, methods, and language used in the celebration of mass and the organization of the sacraments. Before this doctrine, masses were performed in old Latin, a language that only the priests could understand, severely

cutting down the religion ( Historical Background of Vatican II) . Because of the Sacred Liturgy constitution, things such as singing, and music were introduced to mass. Women were allowed roles are readers of scripture, lectors, and eucharistic ministers. This constitution also allowed catholic attendance at protestant services and allowing the reading the protestant bible. To simplify what this means, the Vatican II council presented a new, but familiar vision of the church and what it meant to be part of it. The council also called the Eucharist its main source of the Christian faith, and by this reforming the liturgy. The council also gave a challenge or task to every catholic, calling them to holiness and to be missionaries through the doctrine on missionary activity; Ad Gentes. This doctrine expanded on what it meant to be a church that evangelizes. Based on this doctrine, missionaries were not just people sent to remote places of the Earth to witness, but all Catholics became missionaries through prayer and through their lives. While there were many things that were changed, and many doctrines to introduce this change, there were also many things about the church and its structure that was not changed. This was seen in Reformed Theologian Loraine Boettner, who wrote a book shortly after the release of the council’s official documents. In his book, he states how Pope John XII made sure to make it known that while there were going to be many changes in the way things were done, one thing that would not change was the doctrinal structure of the church ( Historical Background of Vatican II) . The other popes agreed completely, except for Pope Paul, who made a new doctrine, affirming that Mary was and is the mother of the church. The Vatican II also reformed the church through means of bring back basic thoughts and teachings in order to affirm what was already known. This

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led to an improved gratefulness for the scriptures and what it signified. The affirmation also brought appreciation for the fathers of the church; Jesus and his disciples and the restoration of old traditions such as membership rules for the church and how people can be saved.

Work cited (Vatican) , www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat- ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html. Vatican , www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat- ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html. “10 Ways Vatican II Shapes Our Church Today.” TheCatholicSpirit.com , 11 Oct. 2012, thecatholicspirit.com/special-sections/vatican-ii/10-ways-vatican-ii-shapes-our-church- today/. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopedia. “Second Vatican Council.” Encyclopedia Britannica , Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 4 Oct. 2018, www.britannica.com/event/Second-Vatican- Council. “Five Reasons to Read ‘Dei Verbum’-and Five Things You'll Learn in Doing So.” Catholic World Report , www.catholicworldreport.com/2016/01/04/five-reasons-to-read-dei-verbum- and-five-things-youll-learn-in-doing-so/. “Great Figures of Vatican II.” CBCP News , www.cbcpnews.com/cbcpnews/?p=2956. “Historical Background of Vatican II.” Creighton University , www.creighton.edu/vaticanii/historicalbackgroundofvaticanii/. “Light for the Nations: Themes of ‘Lumen Gentium’, Fifty Years Later.” Catholic World Report , www.catholicworldreport.com/2014/11/12/light-for-the-nations-themes-of-lumen- gentium-fifty-years-later/. Teicher, Jordan G. “Why Is Vatican II So Important?” NPR , NPR, 10 Oct. 2012, www.npr.org/2012/10/10/162573716/why-is-vatican-ii-so-important.

“What Happened at Vatican II.” Desiring God , 17 Nov. 2018, www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-happened-at-vatican-ii.

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Theology paper #1 Vatican II council

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