By Leon Bent –
St. Pope John XXIII decreed that Vatican II be convened which changed the Church and the world.
It was in the disturbing and turbulent setting that the Universal Church was in the mid- sixties that, Pope John asked, “What should the Church do? Should Christ’s mystical barque simply drift along, tossed this way and that by the ebb and flow of the tides? Or is she not instead expected not simply to issue a new warning, but to offer also the light of a great example?” The answer for him was the Second Vatican Council.
Given a world that had stopped listening to what the Church had to say, in opening the Council, it was proposed by “Good” Pope John XXIII that: “What is needed at the present time is a new enthusiasm, a new joy and serenity of mind in the unreserved acceptance by all of the entire Christian faith: A New Evangelization! What is needed, and what everyone imbued with a truly Christian, Catholic and apostolic spirit craves today, is that this doctrine shall be more widely known, more deeply understood, and more penetrating in its effects on men’s moral lives. What is needed is that this certain and immutable doctrine, to which the faithful owe obedience, be studied afresh and reformulated in contemporary terms.”
The proper understanding of Vatican II, as confirmed by every Pope from John to Francis, is one of continuity in and strengthening of the Catholic faith: A New Evangelization! The Council was called because John wanted the ancient faith to be exactly preserved, and, yet, proclaimed in a way in which it could be heard and embraced in our age and circumstances. Blessed John Paul II put it this way at the Beatification Mass for Pope John XXIII: “The breath of newness he brought certainly did not concern doctrine, but rather the way to explain it; his style of speaking and acting was new, as was his friendly approach to ordinary people and to the powerful of the world. It was in this spirit that he called the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, thereby turning a new page in the Church’s history: Christians heard themselves called to proclaim the Gospel with renewed courage and greater attentiveness to the ‘signs of the times.’” These three words still hold true and are popular even today.
What Pope John envisioned was a new Pentecost, a renewed and lively apostolic fervour in spreading the Gospel. “The Christian faithful, members of a living organism, cannot remain aloof and think that they have done their duty when they have satisfied their own spiritual needs; every individual must give his assistance to those who are working for the increase and propagation of God’s kingdom” (Princeps Pastorum, 40).
John XXIII personally witnessed the horrors of World War I and World War II, and hoped that the world would never encounter such tragedy again.
On June 4, 1960, he created the Secretariat for Christian Unity. He promulgated two significant encyclicals, Mater et Magistra (May 20, 1961) on society’s evolution in the light of Christian teaching and Pacem in Terris (April 11, 1963) on peace among all nations. He visited hospitals and prisons and in his charity was always close to the suffering and the poor of the Church and the world.”
These succinct words sum up John XXIII’s accomplishments: ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, justice and peace and, most of all, charity. Yet they tell us little about his passions—and he was certainly a man of passion!
A theme of the documents was reconciliation. In keeping, they allowed for Catholics to pray with other Christian denominations, encouraged friendship with other non-Christian faiths, and opened the door for languages besides Latin to be used during Mass. Other new positions concerned education, the media and divine revelation.
John XXIII personally witnessed the horrors of World War I and World War II, and hoped that the world would never encounter such tragedy again.
This final flourish! Vatican II stands as the largest, and, perhaps, the most surprising, Ecumenical Councils convened in the Church’s History!
- Vatican II Presented a Renewed Vision of what it means to be 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, and he document “Gaudium et Spes” on the church in the modern world said the church shares the joys and sufferings of the world. 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 the Eucharist as the main source of God’s grace for Catholics.
3. It Reformed the Liturgy.
The changes to the Mass, 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.
4. It said every Catholic is called to Holiness and to be a Missionary.
The document on missionary activity, “Ad Gentes,” expanded the view of how the Church evangelizes. 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.” It is the family that provides a strong foundation for each believer.
6. It Rershaped the Church’s relationship with other Christians and other Religions.
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.
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.
9. It Returned the Church to its Roots.
This meant renewed appreciation for Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, Tradition, the Magisterium and Canon Law.
Leon Bent is an ex-Seminarian and studied the Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Philosophy, from St. Pius X College, Mumbai. He holds Masters Degree in English Literature and Aesthetics. He has published three Books and have 20 on the anvil. He has two extensively “Researched” Volumes to his name: Hail Full of Grace and Matrimony: The Thousand Faces of Love. He won The Examiner, Silver Pen Award, 2000 for writing on Social Issues, the clincher being a Researched Article on Gypsies in India, published in an issue of the (worldwide circulation) Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, New Delhi. On April, 28, 2018, Leon received the Cardinal Ivan Dias Award for a research paper in Mariology.