The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council
Dedicated to "The Immaculate".
Sweet is the Providence that Overrules Us." Seton
Opened Under Pope John XXIII in 1962
Closed by Pope Paul VI in 1965
+ Jesus - Mary - Joseph +
"I am aware that I owe this to God...
as the chief duty of my life...
That my every word and thought may speak of Him..."
VATICAN COUNCIL, THE SECOND
AN ASSESSMENT OF THIS COUNCIL
PREPARATION FOR THE COUNCIL
THE COUNCIL OPENS
THE COUNCIL AND THE LITURGY
THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
THE SACRAMENTS AND SACRAMENTALS
CONCELEBRATION OF MASS
THE LITURGICAL YEAR
CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH
DECREE ON THE EASTERN CHURCHES
DECREE ON ECUMENISM
THE FINAL SESSION
VATICAN COUNCIL, THE SECOND
MATTERS OF CONCERN FOR THE CATHOLIC STUDENT
POPE JOHN XXIII's OPENING ADDRESS
DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH - LUMEN GENTIUM
DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON DIVINE REVELATION - (DEI VERBUM)
CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY - SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM
PASTORAL CONSTITUTION: ON THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN WORLD - GAUDIUM ET SPES
ADAPTATION AND RENEWAL OF RELIGIOUS LIFE - PERFECTAE CARITATIS
DECLARATION ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM - DIGNITATIS HUMANAE
GUIDE-LINES ON RELIGIOUS RELATIONS WITH THE JEWS
DECLARATION ON CHRISTIAN EDUCATION - GRAVISSIMUM EDUCATIONIS
DECREE ON PRIESTLY TRAINING - OPTATAM TOTIUS
DECREE ON THE APOSTOLATE OF LAY PEOPLE - APOSTOLICAM ACTUOSITATEM
DECREE ON THE PASTORAL OFFICE OF BISHOPS IN THE CHURCH - CHRISTUS DOMINUS
DECREE ON ECUMENISM - UNITATIS REDINTEGRATIO
DECREE ON THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES OF THE EASTERN RITE - ORIENTALIUM ECCLESIARUM
DECREE ON THE MISSION ACTIVITY OF THE CHURCH - AD GENTES
DECREE ON THE MEANS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION - INTER MIRIFICA
APOSTOLIC BRIEF - IN SPIRITU SANCTO
CLOSING MESSAGES OF COUNCIL
CLOSING SPEECH - POPE PAUL VI
CAVEAT EMPTOR ....
These notes are intended as an AID to study by Catholic Students of
the Second Vatican Council. They contain material, some written in a journalistic
style, for the American reader. To that extent they are biased; but they
'set the stage' and 'wet the appetite' for further study of this crucial
Thirty odd years on the 'Aggiornamento' is still fermenting, the fresh air of the
Holy Spirit still blowing, a self-destructive 'Civil War' still raging ....
But His Peace will come to us all ...
Students are reminded that, as with all serious study, research is necessary
and recourse must be had, wherever possible, to original documentation.
These notes should lead the serious student to the libraries of our Catholic
Colleges and Universities and to resources no computer system yet devised can
The First Vatican Council was adjourned in 1870,
following the solemn definition of papal infallibility. Only a part of
its task had been accomplished, but it was destined never to meet
again. Pope Pius IX died in 1878, and five popes had come and gone
before the Second Vatican Council was proclaimed by Pope John XXIII.
Pope John announced his intention of summoning the Oecumenical Council
in January, 1959, within three months of his election to the Chair of
Peter; he signed the Apostolic Constitution, Humane Salutis, on
Christmas Day in 1961. Meanwhile, ten commissions had been formed to
prepare draft decrees to be debated in the Council. At first, seventy
decrees were proposed, but gradually their number was reduced to
Pope John wished the Council "to increase the fervour and energy of
Catholics, to serve the needs of Christian people." To achieve this
purpose, bishops and priests must grow in holiness; the laity must be
given effective instruction in Christian faith and morals; adequate
provision must be made for the education of children; Christian social
activity must increase; and all Christians must have missionary hearts.
In Italian, he was bale to express his desire in one word --
Aggiornamento -- the Church must be brought up to date, must adapt
itself to meet the challenged conditions of modern times. More than
words, Italians appreciate expressive gestures; so also Pope John, when
asked to reveal his intentions, simply moved to a window and threw it
open, to let in a draught of fresh air.
Eighteen months before the Council assembled, the Pope himself showed
how very fresh and new the air was to be. He established a special
Secretariat "for promoting Christian Unity" and authorized this
Secretariat to take part in the prepatory work of the Council so that
schemes, drafted for debate, would take into account the truly
Oecumencial spirit -- that is, the desire to understand the beliefs and
practices of other Christian bodies, and the need to work for the union
of all in Christ.
Long before the
Council began, the bishops of the Catholic world were asked to submit
their proposals for subjects to be raised in the Council sessions. More
than two thousand lists of proposals were received together with
detailed opinions from sixty theological faculties and universities.
All of this material was studied and summarized, and suggestions made by
the Congregations of the Roman Curia were also examined.
In June 1960, Pope John established ten commissions, entrusting to each
commission the task of studying particular questions. In this way the
Theological Commission examined problems of scripture, tradition, faith
and morals; other commissions considered bishops and the control of
dioceses, religious orders, the Liturgy of the Church, seminaries and
ecclesiastical studies, the missions, the Eastern Churches and the lay
apostolate. A central commission worked to coordinate the labours of
individual commissions, assisted the Pope to decide the subjects for
debate in the Council, and suggested rules of procedure.
The Second Vatican Council opened on October 11th,
1962. More than two thousand five hundred Fathers were present at the
opening Mass -- the greatest gathering at any Council in the history of
the Church. After the Mass, Pope John addressed the Fathers, showing
them the way in which the Council must move, and the spirit which must
animate it. The way was to be a renewal, the spirit was to be that of
men who place all their trust in God. In the past, Pope John said, the
Church felt it necessary to use severity and condemnation. What is
required now is mercy and understanding and, above all, an outpouring
of the riches which the Church has received from Christ. The task of the
Council must be to find ways by which the Church can present itself to
the world of today, and can reach into the minds and hearts of men. The
Council must not become a school where theologians can perfect their
formulation of Catholic truth.
Inspired by the words of Pope John, the Fathers began their work. Viewed
from outside, in the manner in which a reporter might comment on
Parliamentary debates, the impression was of two groups -- the
"progressives" and the "reactionaries," radically and bitterly opposed
to one another. Those bishops whose only concern, it seemed, was to
safeguard the Church's teaching were labelled reactionaries; those, on
the other hand, who showed concern for pastoral needs were called
progressives. In reality, however, a Council is not a parliament. The
bishops are united in the Faith and in their love of Christ. In the
second Vatican Council, all have tried to find, in the riches of the
Church's teaching, those truths which must be stressed and emphasized
in the modern world, and to decide how these truths may best be set
forth for the good of all -- of those who are unbelievers as well as
those who believe in Christ.
Cardinal Montini (who was soon to succeed
Pope John in the chair of Peter) wrote to his people in Milan on
November 18th, 1962, to explain the two "tendencies" of the bishop. The
Council, he said, was an assembly of many with complex religious
problems. The unity of the Church, and its universality; the old and the
new; what is fixed and what develops; the inner value of a truth, and
the way in which it is to be expressed; the search for what is
essential and care for particular details; principles and their
practical application -- religious problems can be considered from so
many different aspects. Discussion of these problems will often be
animated and lively -- yet all the bishops are united by that very love
which they have for the truth.
Another observer shows how the two "tendencies" were like two voices.
One voice was uttered by those bishops who wanted, above all else, to
preserve the Faith whole and entire; the other voice spoke for the
bishops who had the same concern for preserving the Faith committed by
Christ, but who also felt the great pastoral need to express that faith
in a language which the modern world could understand and appreciate.
This observer (Jean Guitton) found in the two voices a poetic image of
the Cross of Christ. The upright pillar of the Cross, fixed into the
ground, tells the Christian of the unity, integrity and unchanging truth
of the Faith; the cross-bar, on which Christ stretched out his arms,
tells the Christian that the Faith is open to all men, that it is
universal. Just as the Cross unites its two parts, so also the two
"voices" or tendencies are united in the Christian faith.
From the beginning, the Second Vatican Council has shown that the great
majority of the bishops are concerned with the pastoral needs of the
Church. They have shown that concern in many different ways -- in the
enthusiasm with which they have welcomed Oecumenical dialogue with non-
catholic Christians and with Orthodox Churches; in the interest with
which they have followed the historic visits of Pope John Paul VI to
the Holy Land and to India; and above all in the overwhelming approval
which they gave to the "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy," in the
second session of the Council (December 1962).
The changes in the Liturgy of the Church
show how the work of the Council affects every Catholic. In earlier ages
of Christendom changes were made in Canon Law and in the Christian Life
itself. But these changes usually took place so slowly and gradually
that each man in his own brief life-time hardly noticed them; if he did
take heed of change, he did not find the change disturbing. But in
modern times -- above all in the middle of the twentieth Century -- the
whole tempo and movement of secular history has increased in every
sphere of life, and with the greatest rapidity. The Church is new as
well as old. If it is to remain up to date and in touch with the urgent
needs of modern life, then the Church, too, must undergo change.
Clearly, changes and adaptations must be accomplished with great
prudence. Clearly, too, great courage is needed, if the ancient and
unchanging truths and ways of life and worship are to take on new
Inevitably, many Catholics have found the liturgical changes disturbing.
Older Catholics, in particular, have over the years grown deeply
attached to the words and actions of the Latin Mass; they have learned
to love it, in its Latin form, and it has become for them a permanent
and unchanging reality in a rapidly changing world. Latin was the
common tongue -- the lingua franca -- of the Western world, used by
clerics, statesmen and scholars. Since the Mass is the common prayer of
the whole Church, many feel that Latin should still be retained. This
view was expressed in the first great Decree to issue from the Council
-- the "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy." The Decree states "the use
of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites."
change from Latin to English, in parts of the Mass, has been singled
out because it appears to many to be the most striking result of the
Council's work. But the Council has authorized the use of the
vernacular, or mother-tongue, not only for parts of the Mass but also
for the administration of every sacrament and sacramental. It has
directed national councils of bishops to establish liturgical
commissions whose task is to produce suitable translations of
liturgical texts, and to promote knowledge and love of the sacred
While local commissions are engaged upon this work, the
Central Liturgical Commission meets in Rome. Its primary function is
the revision of the liturgical books. Its secondary function is to adapt
the liturgy to the needs of modern times, and to enable all Catholics
to take part actively in the official worship which the Church offers
to God. However rapid and unexpected these changes might appear, they
are in fact intended to be gradual, step by step, until eventually the
renewal of the liturgy has been completed.
The first major result of this work by the Central Commission was the
promulgation, in September 1964, of an Instruction for putting into
effect the "Constitution of the sacred Liturgy." This instruction drew
attention to the fact that changes are taking place, not for the sake
of change, but because the Liturgy is at the centre of Christian life
and worship. It is through the active sharing in these sacred rites
that the faithful, the People of God, "will drink deeply from the
source of divine life. They will become the leaven of Christ, the salt
of the earth. They will bear witness to that divine life; the will be
instrumental in passing it on to others."
By modern standards, florid and elaborate ceremonies, dress and ornament
are seldom esteemed. During the course of centuries, many features or
details had crept into the liturgy, and these features are now regarded
as unsuited to the worship of God and out of keeping with the real
nature and dignity of that worship. For this reason the liturgical
books are being revised and the rites simplified. The first book to
appear, following the Council's decree, is known as the Ordo Missae.
Issued in January 1961, this book sets forth the rite which is to be
followed, in keeping with the changes introduced by the Council and by
the Liturgical Commission.
Where possible, the high altar is to be placed in such a
way that Mass may be offered by the priest facing the people; the altar
should stand away from the wall of the sanctuary, so that room is left
to allow the priest to move around it. The Blessed Sacrament should be
reserved in a strong tabernacle, placed at the centre of the high
altar; but it maybe placed upon a side altar, if that side altar is
dignified and easily seen. Again, the tabernacle may be placed on the
altar at which Mass is said facing the people; in this case the
tabernacle should be small.
The cross and candlesticks will be placed upon the altar in the
customary way; in certain circumstances, however, the bishop may allow
them to be placed alongside the altar. The sedilia, or seats for the
celebrant and sacred ministers, should be easily seen by the faithful,
and the celebrant's sedile should be so placed as to show that he is
presiding over the Mass as the assembly of the People of God. There
should be an ambo (lectern or reading-desk) -- clearly visible to the
faithful; from which the readings from Scripture are to be made. It
should be observed that many of these changes can be effected only when
new churches are planned; where possible, the sanctuary of an existing
church should be adapted in accordance with the Instruction of the
In the rite of the Mass, the following are
the changes already announced:
1. The celebrant does not say privately those parts of the Proper of the
Mass which are sung by the choir, recited by the people, or proclaimed
by the deacon, sub-deacon or lector. The celebrant may, however, join
with the people in singing or reciting parts of the Ordinary of the
Mass --as, for example, the Gloria and the Credo.
2. Psalm 42 is omitted from the prayers to be said at the foot of the
altar at the beginning of Mass. Whenever another liturgical service
immediately precedes the Mass, all these opening prayers are omitted.
3. The "secret" prayer before the preface is to be said or sung aloud.
4. The "Doxology" at the end of the Canon of the Mass (that is, the
prayer "Through him, and with him . . . ") is to be said or sung in a
loud voice. The signs of the Cross, formerly made during this prayer,
are omitted, and the celebrant holds the host with the chalice,
slightly raised above the corporal. The "Our Father" is said or sung
in the vernacular by the people together with the priest. The prayer
which follows -- is called the Embolism (that is, an insertion or
interpolation) and was originally added to the Mass as an extension of
the last petition in the "Our Father:" a prayer to be freed from evil,
and for our sins to be forgiven. This prayer is also to be said or sung
aloud by the celebrant.
5. The words spoken by the priest when giving Holy Communion have been
shortened to "Corpus Christ" -- "The Body of Christ;" the person
communicating says "Amen" before receiving Holy Communion; and the
priest no longer makes the sign of the Cross with the host.
6. The Last Gospel is omitted, and the prayers formerly recited at the
end of the Mass (the "Leonine" prayers) are no longer said.
7. Provision is made for the Epistle to be read by a lector of by one of
the servers; the Gospel must be proclaimed by the celebrant or by a
8. At all Masses attended by the faithful on Sundays and Holydays, the
Gospel is to be followed by a homily, or explanation reading from the
Scriptures. This homily may be based upon some other text of the Mass,
taking account of the feast or mystery which is being celebrated.
9. After the Creed, provision is made for what is called the "community
prayer" sometimes called the "prayer of the faithful." In some countries
this prayer is already customary; in most places, however, it has not
yet been introduced. In due course the form of this community prayer
will be announced by the Central Liturgical Commission.
10. In accordance with the changes outlined above, the Ordo Missae
issued in January 1965 states that, as a general rule, the celebrant
will say the opening prayers at the foot of the altar; when he has
kissed the altar, he will go tot he sedile or seat and remain there
until the prayer of the faithful has been said before the offertory
leaving it for the ambo if he himself is to read the Epistle and Gospel
but returning to it for the Creed.
11. At a High Mass the subdeacon no longer wears the humeral veil; the
paten is left upon the altar, and the subdeacon joins the deacon in
assisting the celebrant.
12. Suitable translations of parts of the Mass are to be prepared by
regional or national councils of bishops. When these translations have
been confirmed by the Holy See, they may be used when Mass is said in
the vernacular. The extent to which the vernacular is used varies
greatly. Generally speaking, its use is permitted for the first part of
the Mass -- the "Service of the Word" -- and for certain prayers in the
second part -- the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
Another important change concerns the Eucharistic Fast. Until recent
years, this Fast was from midnight. Then it was reduced to three hours.
Finally it was altered to a fast of one hour from food and drink; this
hour is to be reckoned from the time when Holy Communion is to be
received, and not from the time Mass starts. Those who receive
Communion in the Mass of the Easter Vigil, or at the Midnight mass of
Christmas, may also receive Communion on the following morning (That
is, Easter Sunday or Christmas Day).
Among the changes which have been
introduced into the rites for the administration of sacraments, the
following points should be noted.
1. The rites themselves are to be modified and adapted to the needs of
modern times, so that the true meaning of sacramental signs may be
2. The vernacular may be used (a) throughout the rites of Baptism,
Confirmation, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, and Matrimony; and in
the distribution of Holy Communion; (b) in conferring Holy Orders, for
the allocution, or opening address, for the "admonitions" to those
receiving Orders, and for the ritual "interrogation" of a priest who is
about to receive consecration as a bishop; (c) in funeral ceremonies,
and in all blessings known as "sacramentals."
3. The ancient ritual for adults who are receiving instruction in the
Catholic faith was called the "catechumenate." This ritual is to be
brought into use once more, and will extend through several distinct
stages, with an interval of time between each stage. In missionary
regions some features of local "initiation rites" may be introduced,
provided that they can be adapted to Christian principles.
4. The rite of infant baptism is to be altered, to express the fact that
an infant is receiving the sacrament, and to emphasize the duties of
parents and godparents.
5. Confirmation should be administered within the Mass, following the
Gospel and sermon. Those to be confirmed should renew the promises made
6. The rite and formula for the Sacrament of Penance are to be altered,
to give clearer expression to the nature and effects of this sacrament.
7. Similar revisions are to be made in the Sacrament of the "Anointing
of the Sick." The Council has ruled that this phrase should be used in
preference to the former name, "Extreme Unction." The prayers and the
number of the annointings will be altered, to correspond with the
changing conditions of the sick person. In countries where provision
has not yet been made for a continuous rite for the Sacraments of he
Sick (that is, when the illness is such that the sick person is to
receive the Last Blessing and Holy Viaticum) instructions have now been
given for the for the use of this continuous rite.
8. The Sacrament of Matrimony is to be celebrated within Mass, unless
there is a good reason for the marriage to take place outside Mass. The
Mass known as the "Nuptial Mass" (Missa pro Sponsis) must be said, or
at least commemorated. The homily, or address, may never be omitted,
and the Nuptial Blessing is always to be given, even during those times
when the solemnization of marriage has been excluded, and even if one
or both of the parties has already been married.
A new rite has been introduced for the celebration of Matrimony outside
Mass. This rite consists of a short address, the reading of the Epistle
and Gospel (taken from the Missa pro Sponsis), a homily, the
celebration of the marriage, and the Nuptial Blessing. A hymn or other
chant may be sung, and the "prayer of the faithful" -- adapted to
include prayers for the newly married couple -- may be said before the
Nuptial Blessing is given.
These instructions concerning marriage have been made for Catholic
weddings; that is, when both parties are Catholics.
9. In the past, the right to give many blessings had been reserved, in
such a way that without special authority a priest could not give these
blessings, With some exceptions these blessings may now be give by any
priest. The exceptions are: the blessing of Stations of the Cross; the
blessing of a church bell of the foundation stone of a church; the
blessing of a new church or public oratory, or of a new cemetery. Papal
blessings are still reserved.
Further instances of the adaptation and simplification desired by the
Council are the abbreviations in the elaborate ceremonial which, in the
course of centuries, had been built around the Cardinalate. While the
number of cardinals has greatly increased, the ceremonies have been
shortened. The Pope no longer places the large red hat on the head of a
new cardinal; instead, the hat is delivered to his residence in Rome by
a Vatican messenger. The ceremony, in which the Pope places the red
biretta upon the cardinal's head, has now been incorporated within one
comprehensive ceremony, which is still called a "public consistory,"
during which the Pope and the newly-created cardinals join together to
concelebrate Mass. Some simplification of the ecclesiastical dress of
cardinals, bishops and other prelates, as well as simplification of the
ceremonies at which they pontificate, also indicates the manner in
which the Church is anxious to adapt itself to present-day values.
a custom which has always been found in
the Church -- signifies the unity of the priesthood. Until the Second
Vatican Council, however, the custom had usually been restricted to the
Mass for the ordination of a priest or the consecration of a bishop.
The Council has extend the custom of concelebration to other occasions,
such as the Mass on the evening of Maundy Thursday, and Masses
celebrated at meetings of priests. Similarly, the Council has
recognized that in certain cases, clerics, religious and lay people may
receive Holy Communion under the species of wine as well as of bread.
Examples given in the Constitution on the Liturgy are: newly ordained
clerics in the Mass of Ordination; newly professed religious, in the
Mass of profession; and newly baptized adults in the Mass which maybe
said following their baptism. The Apostolic See reserves the right to
determine these cases, and to issue rules both for concelebration and
for receiving Holy Communion under both kinds.
The following are the main changes introduced by
the Council in the signing or recitation of the Divine Office.
1. The sequence of the "hours" of the Office is to be restored to its
traditional form, so that each hour is in fact related to the time of
day at which it is said; in this way the recitation of the Office will
better express its purpose, to sanctify the whole course of the day.
2. The hour of Lauds represents the morning prayer of the Church; while
Vespers is the hour of evening prayer. These two hours are to become
once again the principal hours of the day's Office. Compline is to be
revised so that it will become a suitable prayer for the end of the
3. The hour of Prime is suppressed. When the office is recited in choir,
the three "little hours" of Terce, Sext and None are to be said. Those
who are not obliged to recite the Office in choir may select any one of
these three hours, according to the time of day.
4. When recited in choir, the hour of Matins is to be regarded as the
night prayer of the Church; but this hour is to be reconstructed with
longer scriptural and other readings and fewer psalms, and adapted so
that it may be recited at any time of the day.
5. The Latin language remains the official language of the Western
Church; but in individual cases, where Latin is an obstacle, bishops
and other superiors may authorize the recitation of the Office in the
vernacular. This is because the Divine Office is, first and foremost, a
prayer offered to God.
The Council has recognized that, in some cases, the use of the Latin
tongue can be a hindrance of devotion and can make it difficult for a
person to pray the Office as it should be prayed.
1. The Constitution recalls the unchanging
practice of the Church of celebrating every Sunday the paschal mystery
-- the mystery of the passion, death, resurrection and glorifying of
Christ the Lord. Sunday is the original feast day, the center of the
whole liturgical year.
2. The liturgical year is to be revised, both to preserve the age-old
customs and instructions of the holy seasons, and also to adapt those
customs, where necessary, to the conditions of modern times. Detailed
rules are provided for this revision; the rules are based upon the
pastoral nature of the liturgy -- the need to keep before the minds of
Christians the mysteries of salvation in Christ.
3. The Constitution declares that there is no objection to fixing the
date of Easter -- provided other non-Catholic Christian communities
reach agreement. Similarly, a "perpetual calendar" is acceptable, if it
is based upon a reckoning which retains a seven-day week with Sunday,
and provided that it does not insert extra days which are considered to
belong to no week.
1. The Council drew attention to the age-old tradition
of sacred music and singing, closely linked to the liturgy; and the
Constitution declares that worship becomes more noble when it is carried
out with solemn singing, especially when the celebrant, ministers and
people take an active part.
2. Great attention is to be paid to the teaching and practice of sacred
music, in harmony with training and instruction in the liturgy.
3. Gregorian chant is especially suited tot he Roman liturgy, but other
kinds of sacred music must not be excluded. In mission lands where the
people have their own characteristic musical traditions, these
traditions also should be incorporated into Christian worship.
4. In the Latin Church, the pipe organ is recognized as the traditional
musical instrument, but other instruments maybe used provided that they
can be adapted for use in divine worship.
1. Things that are set apart for use in divine worship
should have dignity and beauty, because they serve as symbols and signs
of the supernatural world. The highest achievement of the fine arts is
sacred art, which is man's attempt to express the infinite beauty of God
and to direct his mind to God.
2. The Church has always been the patron of the fine arts. The Church
reserves the right to decide whether an artist's work is in keeping with
3. Artistic styles vary from one time and place to another. Modern art
is the expression of our times; provided that it is in keeping with
divine worship, a work of modern art and may be used for sacred use.
4. Bishops and others responsible for churches and holy places should
remove from those places all objects which lack true artistic value, or
which may be out of keeping with divine worship. Similarly, they should
see that the number of statues and pictures should be moderate, and
that they should be placed in such a way that a true sense of
proportion is observed.
5. All things destined for use in divine worship should have simple
dignity; lavish display doe snot accord with the worship of God. Each
diocese should have its own Commission of Sacred Art; ecclesiastical
laws, relating to the building of churches, are to be revised wherever
The First Vatican Council, ending so
abruptly in 1870, is known as the Pope's Council, for it defined the
dogma of papal infallibility and stressed the supremacy of the Holy
See. It is likely that the Second Vatican Council will go down in
history as the Council which explained the organic structure of the
Church. This explanation is centred upon the Constitution De Ecclesia
-- dealing with the Church itself. The main points of this Constitution
are outlined below.
1. Too often in the past, the sacramental nature of the Church has been
lost to view. Some theologians used to describe the Church in terms of
a perfect, independent society, often in competition with other social
systems. Others preferred to see it as a complexity of legal systems,
issuing laws to control man's spiritual destiny. Others, again, looked
at age-old institutions, its fine buildings and palaces, the splendour
of its ornaments, vestments and ceremonies, and saw in all these things
evidence of triumph and victory -- "ecclesiastical triumphalism."
2. The Constitution sees the Church, not as any of those things, but as
"the sacrament of union with God, the sacrament of the unity of the
whole of the human race." A sacrament is a sign which brings about what
it signifies. The Church is the sign of unity. Through it, Christ, its
founder, shows the power and presence of God, acting upon society, upon
mankind, upon the world itself; and the action is the same as Christ's
action on Cavalry -- bringing mercy and pardon to men.
3. The Church is the sign because it is the community of the People o
God. Divine redemption and the power of the Holy Ghost, act in and
through God's people to save all mankind. The People of God are being
sanctified; yet they remain weak and human, subject to temptation,
liable to sin. This is not a Church of triumph, whose members can lord
it over others, while remaining secure within its walls. It does not
compete with other social systems and other cultures; it adapts itself
to these systems, because it is an instrument which God uses to save
mankind. It is a missionary Church -- the People of God are
missionaries. They seek that union with God which is true holiness; they
are the instruments through whom God unites and sanctifies mankind.
4. The Catholic Church professes that it is the one, holy catholic and
apostolic Church of Christ; this it does not and could not deny. But in
its Constitution the Church now solemnly acknowledges that the Holy
Ghost is truly active in the churches and communities separated from
itself. To these other Christian Churches the Catholic Church is bound
in many ways: through reverence for God's word in the Scriptures;
through the fact of baptism; through other sacraments which they
5. The non-Christian may not be blamed for his ignorance of Christ and
his Church; salvation is open to him also, if he seeks God sincerely
and if he follows the commands of his conscience, for through this
means the Holy Ghost acts upon all men; this divine action is not
confined within the limited boundaries of the visible Church.
6. The Constitution then turns to the structure of the hierarchy which
Christ established in his Church. It uses the word "college" in the
sense of a unified, corporate body of men (just as cardinals are said
to belong to a "sacred college"). Christ formed his Apostles "after the
manner of a college," and over this college he placed Peter, whom he had
chosen from their midst. The mission which Christ entrusted to the
Apostles must last until the end of the world; accordingly the Apostles
chose others to succeed them. It is therefore by divine institution
that bishops have succeeded the Apostles. The college or body of
bishops, however, has authority together with the Pope as its head. The
Pope is the foundation of unity, of bishops as well as of the Faithful;
so that supreme authority can be exercised by the college of bishops
only in union with the Pope and with his consent.
7. Bishops give to other individuals a share in the ministry. Priests
and bishops are united in the priestly office. At a lower level is the
hierarchy are deacons. When regional conference of bishops deem it
necessary--and when the Pope consents--bishops can confer the diaconate
upon men of mature years, even if these men are married.
In the third session of the Council, practical applications of the
principle of collegiality were left over to await discussion in the
draft scheme concerning bishops. These practical applications affect
such problems as the division of dioceses and the powers to be used by
episcopal conferences. Another important problem, related to the
principle that the bishops and the Pope together form a "college," is
the establishment of a central advisory council of bishops. The form
which this advisory council takes is likely to resemble a "cabinet" in
a civil state, in which the president or prime minister chooses a group
of ministers and advisers. When Pope Paul VI, in February 1965, created
many new cardinals and greatly increased the number in the "Sacred
College" of cardinals, he spoke of the great importance of this senate
of the Church. Since each cardinal is consecrated bishop (if he is not
already a bishop), and since the College of Cardinals includes
representatives from every part of the world, it seems to many
observers that the cardinals themselves will form the "central advisory
council," in which the collegiate responsibility of the bishops will be
The Holy See has also continued the work of "reforming" the roman Curia,
adapting its structure and activities to bring it into harmony with the
needs of modern times and including among its officials a greater
proportion of non-Italians. An important instance of this reform is in
the Holy Office, which now includes bishops of dioceses in France and
in the United States.
At the close of the thirds
session, the Vatican Council gave overwhelming approval to the Decree
on the Eastern Churches.
1. The Catholic Church reveres these Eastern Churches, which are "living
witnesses to the tradition which has been handed down from the apostles
through the Fathers." The whole Church of Christ is made up of a number
of particular Churches or rites; many of these Eastern Churches are
joined in full communion with the Apostolic See.
2. The traditions of each Church should be preserved intact, while
adapting itself to the different necessities of time and place. Each
Church has the duty and the right to govern itself according to its
traditional discipline. In each Church the rights and privileges of
patriarchs must be preserved and, where necessary, restored. But all
Churches are entrusted tot he supreme pastoral care of the Roman
Pontiff as the successor of Saint Peter.
3. All Eastern Catholic Christians must follow the rite, as well as the
discipline, of their respective Churches. In many places, Catholics of
different rites are intermingled. in those places, priests should have
faculties for hearing confession may absolve the faithful who belong to
other rites. In certain circumstances Baptism and Confirmation may be
administered to people of other rites, and marriages contracted between
Christians of different rites may also be valid, when the marriage
contract is made in the presence of a sacred minister. Similarly, the
Council recognizes the validity of Holy Orders conferred in the Eastern
Churches, and permits Catholics to receive Holy Communion and the
Anointing of the Sick from priests of other rites, when the need arises
and when no Catholic priest is available. These permissions express the
desire of the Catholic Church to promote union with the Eastern
churches which are separated from Catholic unity.
The importance which the Holy See attaches to the Eastern Churches, and
the great desire for reunion, were evident throughout the sessions of
the Council. Apart from the Greek Orthodox Church, all the separated
Eastern Churches sent observers to the Council. Patriarchs of Eastern
Catholic Churches were given a special place of honour, and some took a
prominent part in Council debates. The Consistory held in February 1965
for the creation of new cardinals, raised the number of cardinals of
Eastern rites to six. The Eastern patriarchs ranks as cardinal bishops.
Unlike other cardinals, they are not allotted titular churches in Rome,
nor are they given titular sees in the province of Rome; instead, they
retain the title of their patriarchal sees. This compromise has not
been welcomed by every Eastern Catholic; for, in the hierarchy of the
Church, a patriarch possesses the highest authority, to which the
cardinalate can add nothing.
Similarly, the decree on the Eastern Churches has been criticized on the
grounds that, while it is ostensibly addressed to the Churches which are
in full communion with the Holy See, in reality it is directed to the
Orthodox Churches whose members consider that the Eastern catholic
Churches are obstacles to reunion.
Over the centuries differences between
Christians have led to profound divisions, but modern times have seen a
great movement towards unity; and the decree begins by saying, "Christ
the Lord founded one Church and one Church only. One of the principal
concerns of this Council is the restoration of unity among all
1. All who have been "justified by faith in baptism" are members of the
Body of Christ; they all have the right to be called Christian; the
children of the Catholic Church accept them as brothers.
2. The Catholic Church believes that the separated Churches and
communities "are efficient in some respects." But the Holy Ghost makes
use of these Churches; they are means of salvation to their members.
3. Catholics are encouraged to join in Oecumenical activity, and to meet
non-Catholic Christians in truth and love. The task of "Oecumenical
dialogue" belongs to theologians, competent authorities representing
4. Catholics should not ignore their duty to other Christians --- they
should make the first approach. Even so, the primary duty of the Church
at the present time is to discover what must be done within the catholic
Church itself; to renew itself, to put its own house in order. Catholics
sincerely believe that theirs is the Church of Christ; everything
necessary must be done that others also may clearly recognize it as
5. The ecumenical movement can make no progress without a real change
of heart. Theologians and other competent Catholics should study the
history, teaching and liturgy of separated Churches. All Christians
have a common purpose -- to confess Christ before men. Practical
expression must be given to this, by relieving the distress which
afflicts so many of the human race: famine, poverty, illiteracy, the
unequal distribution of wealth, housing shortage.
6. In appropriate circumstances prayers for unity should be recited
jointly with non-Catholic Christians. Catholics are to be directed in
this by their bishops, subject to the decisions of the Holy see.
7. Between the catholic Church and Western non-Catholic Christian
communities, important differences remain; these differences are most
evident in the interpretation of truth revealed by God. But the bonds of
unity are already strong; their strength must be put to use. The bonds
are, chiefly, the fact that Christians believe in the divinity of Christ
and the fact of reverence for God's word revealed in the Bible.
8. In the cause of ecumenism, the Catholic must always remain true to
the Faith that he has received. Impudent zeal in this matter is a
hindrance to unity and not a help. So also is any attempt to achieve a
merely superficial unity.
By the close of the third session, in November of
1964, the Council had voted in favour of two Constitutions and three
Decrees. The Constitutions were those dealing with the liturgy and with
the Church; the Decrees were on Oecumenism, on the Eastern Churches,
and on "Means of Communication" (dealing with modern mass media, such
as the Press, cinema, radio and television; this Decree was generally
regarded as excessively clerical, abstract and unworthy of its
Of the schemata outstanding at the end of the third session, the
principal ones were those dealing with priests and seminaries,
religious, the missions, the "pastoral duties of bishops," Divine
revelation, and "the Church and the Modern World." Intensive and
prolonged drafting, debating, amending, further debating followed by
further amending, have marked the path of each of these topics. They
have also manifested the will of the Council that everything possible
must be done to make this the Council of renewal in the Church.
Among the outstanding topics, those contained in Schema 13 command the
greatest interest. For this is the schema on the Church in the modern
world. The Council must show that in its debates it is not moving on the
abstract plane; the Church is in this world, committed to it by a divine
commission. Of all the topics discussed, probably none has been more
widely awaited. No schema has passed through more stages, none has
suffered greater amendment. This schema is entrusted to two commissions
working together -- the Commission for Theology and the Commission for
the Lay Apostolate. In February 1965 the revised text (that is, the
text in its fourth form) was examined by the mixed commission, and a
further meeting was to be held before the text was to be sent to the
bishops. In this text there are stated the questions and problems that
the modern world puts to the Church, and the fields in which it seeks
the Church's co-operation. Then the text outlines the things on which
the Church is competent to pronounce, while a brief analysis of history
shows how mistakes have been made in the past when the Church became
involved in political systems. Under the headings of anthropology,
sociology and cosmology, the text then details the attitude of the
Church to the modern world.
The extreme complexity of these problems is shown by the fact that seven
distinct sub-committees are at work. These sub-committees deal with
(a)the basis in theology;
(b) the general manner of presentation;
(c) the question of man's presence in society;
(e) social and
(f) peace and war -- including nuclear war and
disarmament; and finally
(g) questions of modern culture.
During the third session, many other important issues were raised. Among
them were the declaration on religious liberty, and a further
declaration concerning those who are not Christians (including a
declaration on those who belong to the Jewish faith).
These declarations were returned for further revision, and action for
approval was postponed until the fourth session.
The question of mixed marriages was also raised (that is, marriages
contracted between Catholic and non-Catholic Christians). The Council
Fathers decided to submit this question to the Pope for a ruling, and
expressed the hope that this ruling would be given in advance of the
promulgation of the reform in Canon Law. While the general question of
marriage is included in the schema on the Church in the modern world,
Pope Paul VI has reserved to himself the decision as to whether any
change should be made in the teaching of Pope Pius XI (which was
repeated by his successor, Pope Pius XII) concerning means of birth
control. Pope Paul enlisted aid from distinguished theologians and
doctors to assist him in forming his judgement on this question.
The fourth and last session of the Council opened September 14th, 1965,
and closed December 8th. By far the most active of the sessions, it
issued two constitutions
(divine revelation, modern problems of the
(duties of bishops, seminaries, life of religious,
apostolate of the laity, priestly life, missions),
(the Church and non-Christian religions, Christian
education, religious liberty).
The Council witnessed a dramatic
demonstration of ecumenism on December 7th, when Pope Paul and the
Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras I formally expressed their regret for
the mutual excommunications pronounced by their predecessors. Pope Leo
IX and Patriarch Cerularius, in 1054.
The documentary work of the Council, the fruit of laborious committee
study, many preliminary versions, and countless revisions, is
represented by sixteen final drafts, as follows:
"On the Sacred Liturgy" (Dec. 4, 1963),
"On the Church" (Nov. 21,
"Divine Revelation" (Nov. 18th, 1965) and "the Church in the
Modern World" (Dec. 7, 1965);
"The Instruments of Social
Communication" (Dec. 4, 1963),
"Ecumenism" (Nov. 21, 1964),
"The Eastern Catholic Churches" (Nov. 21, 1964),
"The Pastoral Duty of
Bishops," (Oct. 18, 1965),
"On Priestly Formation" (Oct. 28, 1965),
the Apostolate of the Laity" (Nov. 18, 1965),
"On the Missionary Activity of the
Church" (Dec. 7, 1965),
"On the Relationship of
the Church to non-Christian Religions" (Oct. 26, 1965),
Education" (Oct. 28, 1965) and "On Religious Freedom" (Dec. 7, 1965).