The Second Vatican Council—Your Council Too

The major interest of the Ecumenical Council is this: that the sacred heritage of Christian truth be safeguarded and expounded with greater efficacy. (Blessed Pope John XXIII, Address at the Opening of Vatican Council II, October 11, 1962)

Some fifty years ago, Pope John XXIII opened the extraordinary  event that was the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. Blessed Pope John XXIII initially defined the Council as an opportunity for “aggiornamento”, literally “a bringing up to date” the decrees, definitions, and nature of the church “in the modern world.” . There was not to be any new proclamations of dogma or denouncing of heresies. Rather, it was to allow the Church to be open to the modern world, to allow the church to present itself in the current age, explaining its creed and traditions in new and updated ways.

For the young people in the Catholic Church today, this Council seems confusing. There are mixed messages. There are those who wish to remove the Council from history. This view is to isolate the Second Vatican Council to its many documents. These people are sometimes called the “opponents” of the Council. Yet, the most visible of those wishing to obliterate the historical Council is the current Pope, Benedict XVI. Yet, as a young theologian, Joseph Aloisious Ratzinger was an enthusiastic “expert” (peritus) during the Council he wishes to remove from history.

To deny the history of the Council is to repudiate the activity of the Council Fathers. It is to deny the working of the Holy Spirit at the Council. To claim, as Pope Benedict XVI does, that there was no change in the doctrines or dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, is not a misstatement- it is a lie, one easily proven.

For those American Catholics who attend most Sacred Liturgies, the change is immediately clear. One hears the Mass’ prayers and readings in English. Lay people are allowed inside the altar rail, and participate in many aspects of the Liturgy as Lectors, (Readers), Leaders of Song and as Extraordinary Ministers of Communion. None of this was allowed before Vatican Council II. The lie that the council created no change in the Church therefore is easily refuted.

Although the true nature of the sacraments didn’t change, the rituals changed to make their nature clear to those participating in the sacraments. Now, it is possible to sit across from the priest to make your confession, to make clear that it is the action of the penitent and the priest which is involved. Parents are present at the Baptism of their children, something not customary pre-Vatican II. Marriage is most regularly held within the Sacred Liturgy. The connection between the marriage of the bride and groom is more clearly defined as the model of Christ’ marriage to his bride, the church.

Much more significant changes occurred during the Council. For the first time at a Catholic Council there were invited observers from other Christian and non-Christian faiths. Not only did these observers “observe”, they were active members of the Commissions set up between formal sessions to write the documents of the Council. Members of the Eastern Orthodox Church were able to provide the language and to clarify the theology of the Holy Spirit, its relationship to the Father and the Son and its centrality in the activity of God on earth.

Without the teaching of the history of the Second Vatican Council, the people who are participants in the activity of the salvation that is to be spread to the world, that is the Christian people, are deprived of the truth of the Vatican Council. The effort to sanitize and eliminate the amazing working relationships among the bishops and the “periti”, these current official interpreters of the Council will make the resulting documents dry and lifeless.

Since the period when John Paul II led the Church, the effort to return to a purely hierarchical “top-down” structure began. The important aspect of this change was to stop using the term for the church expressed in Vatican Council and its documents. This expression and definition is “the People of God.” Vatican II proclaimed no longer was the church only expressed as the Pope as ruler, or the bishops as doctrinal police. Rather, all the members of the Church were as a ship heading to heaven all incorporated together as one people, the true off-springs of Abraham. With Christ as its leader, the Church would be guided to unity with the Holy Spirit, bringing to the Father the faithful and chosen people.

The People of God are in fact the Church. This idea is epoch in its simplicity. Each has their roles as priests, prophets and leaders. The church has always believed that all of the people shared in the activity of Christ’s priesthood on earth. Vatican II brought that idea to a more explicit conception. All the church’s membership shares in Christ’s Priesthood. As the High Priest, as St. Paul tells us, Jesus understands our weakness and temptations. Thus, as we are saved and incorporated into the People of God through Baptism, we share in all aspects of Christ’s priesthood.

The Second Vatican Council is alive in the People of God. All Catholics are missionaries of God’s word. As sharers in the priesthood of Christ, the people are obligated to spread the word of the glory of Christ, the Trinity and forgiveness of sins through Baptism by water and the Holy Spirit.

All the generations succeeding the Council are to be imbued with the Spirit, which brings light to the world. These current generations need to understand that the Council existed historically as an instrument of the Holy Spirit. This is no “rogue” council. In it the Spirit worked, and renewed the beautiful yet unfortunately stagnant faith. The Council did prepare the Church for what it was to encounter in the situation of the Church today. The Council revised the role of the Bishop as the pastoral leader and teacher of his flock. Due to the Council Fathers’ efforts, there are ordained “permanent “ Deacons to assist a shrinking number of priests. It prepared the laity to assume leadership and pastoral roles which now provides for the teaching of the faith to new generations, encouragement of good works within the community and to assist in planning the Liturgical services of the Parish.

To all members of the Church and beyond: Vatican Council II is your Council.  The documents tell an important part of the Council. The truth remains, that although keeping in line with Catholic teaching, safeguarding for the future the deposit of faith, the pearl of great price, it changed the Church to face the world with hope, courage and joy.