VATICAN COUNCIL II
1. Describe your feeling on the renewal introduced by the documents of Vatican II.
When Pope John XXIII announced the creation of the Second Vatican Council (also
known as Vatican II) in January 1959, it shocked the world. Meetings of all of the
bishops are super rare, on average they happen once every hundred years. They're
always called as a response to a crisis or a question. The church wasn't in decline in
fact it was booming but john xxiii expressed a desire to open the windows and let in
some fresh air in terms of new ideas and energy. There were Two Pope's led Vatican
because john xxiii died in 1963. One year in, Paul the sixth took it to conclusion. They
were joined by around 2000 bishops and leaders of major Catholic orders, these guys
made the big decisions, they were assisted by a bunch of theological experts mainly
priests. Alongside all of these people, a number of laypeople including 20 women were
brought in as auditors and advisors. Non-catholic Christians were invited also to
observe including Orthodox and Protestant Christians.
2. What are the Church’s practices today that you appreciate in line with Vatican II
and you feel uneasy because contrary to Vatican II?
Cultural changes in the aftermath of World War II spelled a need to reconsider church
practices. These meetings did just that — 16 documents in total came out of it, laying a
foundation for the church as we know it today. The purposes of Vatican II were not to
condemn, but to build up and renew and help the Church face the challenges of the
20th century. They didn't change any beliefs of the church they just changed how some
of these beliefs were expressed.
What I appreciate about the Vatican II are: First, they highlighted the universal call to
holiness this means every one of every rank is responsible for being and building the
church. It was an emphasis on ordinary Catholics rather than on just priests and
bishops. Second, the church should seek greater unity with all Christians and seek
peace with other religions. Third, the church should seek to be involved in the modern
world through advances such as communications technology. Fourth, the church's
nature was reevaluated. It must be a light to the world bringing the truth of Christ to all.
Fifth, Scripture was emphasized as important in particular all Catholics lay in religious
were encouraged to read the scripture for themselves that's at Vatican II emphasize that
tradition was also important. Finally, the mass was emphasized as being super
important with a focus on lay participation that's ordinary Catholics.
I felt uneasy a little bit when the Vatican II decided to forget the tradition or what the
Church was all about at the past. As we embrace the modernization, many people are
still confused or lost on the ways of being truly faithful. The true problem with Vatican II
has nothing to do with the actual teachings of the council, it has to do with the lack of
This study source was downloaded by 100000831608276 from CourseHero.com on 09-30-2022 10:59:38 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/70453329/JOURNAL6docx/
discipline that has resulted from it. Priests, bishops, and the laity seem to think that
Vatican II gave them license to do whatever they want "in the spirit" of Vatican II without
holding to the actual teachings of the Church.
3. How can you apply the teachings of Vatican II in your life and towards others in
your family and Parish Church?
Most of the Catholics alive today have been born since the council ended. We have
known no other church. And the great shift of power towards the laity seems
irreversible, if only because without the support of the laity there will be no more priests.
But looking at the brighter side, 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
This study source was downloaded by 100000831608276 from CourseHero.com on 09-30-2022 10:59:38 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/70453329/JOURNAL6docx/
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)