My Journey to a Comp Exam - What I Have Learned Part IX

Here we are, at the final question I will potentially have to address on my upcoming comprehensive examination!  This one entails a course on the Documents of Vatican II, and I compiled the outline that I will be using to construct the article myself.  Again, many thanks to my classmate, Patti Christensen, for the effort of organizing the group effort for studying for this exam, and as I prepare myself to take it in just a couple of months, I covet your prayers and also ask that you keep my fellow classmates who still need to take it in your prayers as well, as this is a LOT of intense material - it essentially covers everything we have learned in four years.  

Vatican II and its decisions have indeed carried a lot of weight over the years with members of the Church,  and the implementation of many things from that Council have sparked discussions, debates, and controversies on various levels.  Was Vatican II a bad thing for the Church, or does it have continuity with past Catholic teaching?   Also, how do the documents of Vatican II express both continuity with past teaching as well as new approaches which present Catholic teaching in the light of present-day situations and an understanding of modern people?  That is the first and primary part of this discussion, and we will start there.

Of all the documents that came from Vatican II, there are four very pivotal ones that are called "Constitutions," and in a lot of ways they are the authoritative texts upon which everything else that came out of the Council rests.  The four documents notes are Sancrosanctum Concillium (which addresses the role of the Sacred Liturgy), Lumen Gentium (which deals specifically with the Church), Dei Verbum (which deals with Divine Revelation, and especially emphasizes the important role of sacred Scripture in the life of the Church), and Gaudium et Spes (which deals with how the Church encounters the modern world).  The four documents, although foundational, do not carry equal authority, and here is why.  Two of them - Lumen Gentium and Dei Verbum - are what are known as "Dogmatic Constitutions," which means they have the highest level of decree.  One is a "Constitution" only - Sacrosanctum Concillium - and what that means is that it has authority as far as giving the proper guidelines regarding what it addresses.  The fourth - Gaudium et Spes - is what is known as a "Pastoral Constitution," meaning that it provides pastoral and moral instruction on the issue it addresses.   Although fairly recent documents, they do show a continuity with development of teaching found in documents from earlier Councils.  However, the four must be interpreted in light of one another.  And, together, they constitute the hermeneutical key for interpreting the Church's full library of documents.  There were many other documents that were generated by the Council Fathers, but these four have a pivotal authoritative role in the reading of the others.

Of the four, Dei Verbum has a certain priority based on what is called the "hierarchy of truths" - the way one views Divine Revelation (in particular Sacred Scripture) has bearing on one's understanding of the notion of the Church (Lumen Gentium), its mission (Sacrosanctum Concilium), and how the Church relates to the modern world (Gaudium et Spes).  Dei Verbum and Lumen Gentium should indeed be viewed as interpreting each other mutually.  Gaudium et Spes also is not to be considered a more "mature" document than earlier draftings of Lumen Gentium, but rather as a "both/and" in contrast to "either/or."   In other words, Lumen Gentium defines the Church in historical context, while Gaudium et Spes defines it in light of contemporary culture. 

Moving forward, there are successes and shortcomings of the implementation of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council within the Church from the close of the Council in 1965 to the present.  Many controversies and issues, as a matter of fact, are not due so much to the actual decisions of the Council itself, but rather are matters of interpretation and implementation.   A faulty implementation based on a faulty interpretation of the documents of the Council has led to some abuses and other issues, and these are very real issues that need to be addressed by the Church as a whole.  But, there are both positives and negatives that have arisen from the Council and its documentation, and those will now be dealt with more closely.

One of the major fruits of the Council was that it fostered an openness of dialogue with others.  As positives, other Christians are now seen as "separated brethren" and as fellow Christians rather than as apostates as many had viewed Protestants and others in earlier generations.  There has also been a more appreciative attitude in regard to the Jews, as the overt anti-Semitism of some in the past was refuted soundly and the Jews are now recognized as being important to salvation history as our "older brothers" in the faith.  As far as other religions are concerned, a greater respect has been fostered, and good things with possibility for implementation have been noted in other religious traditions outside Christianity.  However, there are negatives to this as well.  For one, while recognizing other Christians as actually Christian, it is important that Christian unity is taught without compromise of essential Church teaching.  In regard to the Jews, while a greater appreciation of the Jews and their role in salvation history is critical, it must not compromise the evangelistic mandate of the Church to pray for their conversion either - the ultimate act of love for our Jewish brethren, in other words, is to introduce them to their Messiah, whom we follow as Christians.  And regarding other religions, while it is good to recognize positives within other religions, it is also important to avoid both universalism and syncretism, which means there must be a clear definition of what those positives in other religious traditions are and also caution must be exercised to not engage in practices from these other religious traditions that could cause a conflict with Magisterial Tradition.  If ecumenism is seen in its proper light, it means that a healthy respect of others while still being faithful to Church doctrine will be fostered that will aid in dialogue and even evangelization of the world for Christ.

Another major fruit of the Council is the encouragement of a more active role of the laity in the life of the Church.  So, the question is how that has caught on at the lay level?  The first area to look at here is Bible study.  Although never discouraged necessarily in the past, the Council now actively encourages laypeople to read Scripture and also spiritually-edifying material and there is also an emphasis on not merely reading Scripture, but also knowing Scripture - this entails a more thorough knowledge on the part of the laity for both Scripture and Tradition, and it also creates a vital groundwork for prioritizing proper catechesis.  A witness to Jesus Christ in both word and action is also encouraged and is to be emphasized to the laity.  In word, that means that lay Catholics must be more bold and assertive to discuss their faith.  It also means in word that Catholics need to learn to articulate the faith effectively in such a way that they themselves understand it and that those they talk to will as well.  In action, Catholics should also be encouraged to live their lives in a way that reflects their faith.  This entails a stand for traditional marriage, the sanctity of life, and other traditional values being lived as well as merely professed.  The laity also are encouraged to be more active and concerned in the cause for Christian unity - the Charismatic Renewal is seen as a perfect vehicle for this.  Catholics should be able to fellowship with other Christians (Evangelicals, Anglicans, Orthodox, etc.) in grassroots ecumenical endeavors, as well as having solidarity in a stand on social issues with these Christians and others - such as Mormons for instance - who share convictions on traditional values and how they can be restored to society.  This does not mean that we have to share beliefs with them as Catholics, but that the common stand on traditional values should be seen as something that all these communities should strive and cooperate for.  This also entails social justice and works of mercy and charity.  These works of mercy and charity reflect dignity of personhood, and in turn this fosters an environment for genuine social justice.  Included in this is a concerned for the disadvantaged, marginalized, and persecuted.  The transformation of society with the light of Christ is determined in large part by these concerns. 

Another area is the impact of marriage life, religious vocations, and other special callings.  Catholic teaching on traditional marriage must be seen as a sacramental union and a lifelong vocation.  This necessitates a need for young people to discern a call to serve the Church. 

The reality of changes in liturgy has also become a pivotal issue regarding implementation of the Council's decisions in the life of the Church.  A major contention has arisen over the implementation of the Novus Ordo as succession to the pre-1962 Tridentine (or old Latin) Mass.  The major concerns of the traditionalists were with a "dumbing-down" of the liturgy to accommodate contemporary culture, and that led later to schisms such as those of the Society of St. Pius X - also called sedevacantists - who are openly critical at times of even the legitimacy of the Holy See.  However, fortunately, the Church has allowed for those who so choose to continue using the pre-1962 Mass form, which is called the "Extraordinary Form of the Mass," and that has led to apostolates forming within the Church and faithful to the Holy See, such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.  As a positive also with the Novus Ordo, there is more encouragement for lay participation in the Mass that was lacking previously.  However, there is also another issue over the celebration of what are called "Specialty Masses" (Clown Masses, Polka Masses, etc.) which are designed to reach out to specific communities.  The concerns raised are primarily with the reality that these "specialties" can detract from the Christocentric focus of the Mass.   Concerns over the use of music have also been noted.  Much like the parallel "Worship Wars" that Evangelicals have been engaged in over the past couple of decades, a lot of debate and dialogue has been generated among Catholics about music appropriate for Mass - for instance, is it proper to use contemporary styles, and to what degree?  Also, is it appropriate to rework some secular songs (notably George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord") to fit into the Mass?  These are legitimate concerns to be addressed, and in doing so it is important to understand Church teaching and the role of continuity of Tradition in those discussions. 

In conclusion, an important question to ask is this - does the Mass encourage one to draw near to Christ, and do the elements of the Mass point one toward receiving Christ in the Eucharist?  The Christocentricity of the Mass is integral to Catholic life, and in implementation of the Vatican II Council's reforms and such, this needs to take central focus.  The point of the Vatican II Council and its decisions is that oftentimes it is not the readings of the documents themselves that are the problem but the way they are interpreted.  Catholic faith and spirituality - and also doctrine - have a continuity over the ages, and that must be preserved even in the face of societal pressure to change.  It is not the job of the world to transform the Church to conformity with secularism and modernity, but rather the mandate of the Church to evangelize and transform the culture for Christ.  How that is implemented remains the root issue, and may our Church leaders always have the discernment to be in continuity with Holy Tradition and the Magisterium.