The fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council
by Blessed Pope John XXIII takes place on 11 October.
The Council ran
from 1962-1965, producing 16 documents over the course of four sessions.
Over 2,000 bishops from around the world participated.
The Council
introduced major reforms and stands among the most significant religious
events of the 20th Century.
To honour this anniversary, as well as the twentieth anniversary of
the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict
XVI called for a Year of Faith, beginning on 11 October 2012 and ending
on 24 November 2013, to strengthen the faith of Catholics and draw the
world to faith by their example.
Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, chairman of the US Bishops’
Committee on Divine Worship, has offered '10 Ways Vatican II Shapes the
Church Today' to help Catholics appreciate the Council and how it
relates to the Year of Faith:
1. Vatican II presented a renewed vision of what it means to be the
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. The
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 Holy
Communion as the main source of God’s grace for Catholics. In the
Eucharist, Catholics encounter the person of Christ. In this way, it is
truly the foundation of the Church.
3. It reformed the liturgy.
The changes to the Mass, perhaps the most well-known conciliar reform,
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. Missionaries were no longer sent just to remote
areas of the world to spread the Good News; 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.” While the faith of the Church flourishes in parishes,
dioceses and nations around the world, before all else is the family.
It is the family that provides a strong foundation for each believer.
6.
It reshaped 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 that didn’t in the
past. Bishops collaborate through episcopal conferences like the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops and state-level Catholic Conferences. The
Council also encouraged “subsidiarity,” by which authority is divided
up and decisions are made at the appropriate level.
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, such as Mass in the
vernacular and dialogue with other believers, and the openness of the
Council was reflected in the presence men and women religious, lay
people and even non-Catholics among its official observers.
9.
…but it also returned the Church to its roots. Vatican II also reformed
the Church through a back-to-basics approach. This meant renewed
appreciation for Scripture, the Church Fathers and the restoration of
ancient traditions such as the permanent diaconate and the multi-step
process for adults joining the Church.
10. Then-Father Joseph
Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) played a significant behind-the-scenes
role. The bishops at Vatican II were assisted by brilliant theologians.
These assistants, or periti, included Joseph Ratzinger, who assisted
Cardinal Josef Frings of Cologne, Germany. Father Ratzinger was involved
in drafting speeches, shaping documents and defining the overall
trajectory of the Council.