1

The most Excellent Father

The Lord Peter Martin Ngo-Dinh-Thuc

Archbishop of Hue

Most eminent princes, venerable brethren, most generous observers, I offer a

few thoughts.

Generally, indeed, the schema - both with regard to its substantial, complete
matter and with regard to its composition - can be regarded as a model constitution. Its
authors are worthy of praise.

Tiny observations, tiny clarifications only are needed. For instance:

1. Page 7, line 23. The Church of God existing continuously ever since Adam
is being treated. So why does the text used to prove the continuous existence say:
"From Abel the just until the last of the elect"? Is Adam therefore excluded?

2. Page 8, line 2. The holy Church of God existing since the beginning of the
world is being treated. The text qualifies that Church as being a prefiguration of the
Church of Christ...

The Moderator, Cardinal Agagianian interrupting: Most excellent Lord, your

speech must be about the schema in general, not about particular parts of it.

Speaker:. But what is this, with reference to so great a monument? Hence my

intervention is based on article 10, page 13, chapter 1 of this text...

Moderator, Cardinal Agagianian:- It is not about chapter 1, or about such and

such a page, but about the schema in general: whether there is a sufficient basis for it to
be proposed for the discussion of the Fathers of the Council. Concerning particular
chapters, speeches will then be made separately.

Speaker: "Concerning the attraction of non-Christians to the Church." With

great consolation I see present in these assemblies the delegates of the non-Catholic
Christian Churches, to be witnesses of our fraternity, sincerity and liberty. But where
are the delegates or observers of the non-Christians? Do they not need this wonderful
sight of the unity of the Catholic Church? Do they not need an exposition of our
Christian faith? Do the people whom they represent not constitute one third - or, rather
the greater part - of those dispersed sheep which Christ yearned to be brought into the
one fold?

This scandal coming to the whole world from the absence of any invitations
sent to the chiefs of the non-Christian religions I expounded in the central commission -
but in vain. I earnestly begged the council to make good this omission, so that this
most loathsome ["odiosissima"] discrimination between some religions and religions
may no longer be found.
 2

This absence of an invitation to the heads of the Christian religions confirms in

a certain manner that prejudice creeping throughout the Asiatic and African world:

"The Catholic Church is a church for men of white colour and not for coloured
men."

Whereas the new dioceses which daily come into existence in the Church
almost all come from Asia and Africa where the non-Catholic inhabitants, especially
those who are not Mahometans, often desire not only to be united, but to be identified
with the Catholic Church.

I do not know what prejudice can prevent us from sending an invitation to these
nations whose number is as the sand of the sea to contemplate the face of Mother
Church in the person of her rulers, so that their heart may be attracted to the faith and
embrace of Mother Church in which there is no distinction of Jew, nor of Greek, nor of
coloured and of white.

What do the Fathers of the Council feel about this matter, this argument?

(...)

[At this point another Father evidently intervened in order to draw to

Archbishop Ngo-Dinh-Thuc's attention the mistake he was making.. .]

After going on for so long, I beg the forgiveness of the Fathers, because I have
abused your patience to no purpose given that my friend the Archbishop of Diamantina
has just pointed out to me that an invitation was made to non-Catholics, and - unhappy
me! - I have tried to open a gate which was already open. So if this is true, I extol the
benevolence of the Sovereign Pontiff with great praises, and, if I may, I offer the
greatest thanks to him in the name of all those non-Christians."

(Taken from Acta Synodalia Vaticani II, volume 2, part 1, pp.358-359)

____________________________________________________________
 3

The most Excellent Father

The Lord Peter Martin Ngo-Dinh-Thuc

Archbishop of Hue

The name "people of God" includes both the hierarchy and the laity in the
Church. Moreover, if the wish of one Father of this council were acceded to, the whole
of humanity would have to be included in the Church. However this be, it seems to me
an extraordinary thing that in the schema concerning the people of God, express
mention is nowhere made of women, so that the Church appears totally masculine.
Whereas the reality is quite different. Do not women constitute the greater part of the
laity - even of mankind? And do not these women suffer so many exceedingly irksome
("molestissima") and unjust ecclesiastical prescriptions? Of course I well know that the
Church had to behave like this in order not to offend the prejudices of those ages.
Thus, St. Paul imposed the veil on women in Church, lest they displease the angels. So
why must men proudly enter the church bareheaded, which is contrary to the custom of
clerics today both in the West and in the East? In the same way, silence was imposed
on women whereas in this Basilica the walls recently resounded to the voices of the
Fathers. So too, nuns must obtain the permission of the churches [sic] to wash the
sacred linens. And likewise this unjust discrimination appears here and now in this
conciliar hall: where are the women among the periti [the "expert theologians" who
advised the Council Fathers] and listeners? Are not our nuns, whose number is
immense, most expert in nursing and education, as well as missionary activities, and are
not their ears just as inquisitive as those of men? Why is it that in our atomic age,
when almost everywhere in the world women have obtained juridical equality with
men, it is only in the Church of Christ that they still suffer these injurious
discriminations, while it was a Woman who collaborated with the nativity of the
Church on the cross of the Lord, no bearded men being present except John, and while
here and now it is holy women throughout the world who bear our Church on their
arms and shoulders? What can you do, Fathers, what can your priests do without these
holy women? Just about nothing. So in the name of your mothers, sisters, and nuns, I
eagerly seek that in this chapter some express mention be made of this devout female
sex and that in the law of the new Code, these discriminations against that most valiant
sex be eradicated. Last of all I shall be grateful to him who can present me with a
plain, apodictic1 text of the Gospel which excludes the sisters of the Blessed Virgin
Mary from the sacred functions [i.e. the ordained ministry - translator].

(Taken from Acta Synodalia Vaticani II, volume 2, part 3, page 513.)

1
Demonstrating by rigid logic – translator.