RE ATAR UNIT 3 - THE

SIGNIFICANCE OF
ONE RELIGIOUS
EVENT FROM THE
PAST

The Second Vatican Council

 • Each Ecumenical Council has occurred within a particular
historical context. These historical contexts often
influence how a council operated. The most recent
council, the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), utilised
a range of structures and processes that were used to
The Second support its operations and decision making.

Vatican • The Second Vatican Council (informally known as Vatican

II) addressed relations between the Roman Catholic
Council Church and the modern world.

• It was the twenty-first ecumenical council of the Catholic

Church and the second to be held at Saint Peter's Basilica
in the Vatican. The council, through the Holy See,
formally opened under the pontificate of Pope John
XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI
on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1965.
 • Within three months of his election (October 1958)
Pope John XXIII announced his intention of summoning
an Ecumenical Council on 25 January 1959. This was a
sudden and in many respects an unexpected
announcement. The Curia (the Vatican’s administrative
body) in particular was surprised and there was little
The Second initial official comment from curial leaders.

Vatican • Reaction to the announcement outside of these circles

was widespread and largely positive, both from religious
Council -2 and secular leaders outside the Catholic Church.
Meanwhile, ten commissions were formed in order to
prepare draft decrees to be debated in the Council. At
first, seventy decrees were proposed, but gradually their
number was reduced to seventeen.
 • On Christmas Day in 1961 the pope signed the Apostolic
Constitution, Humane Salutis which formally summoned the
Council. He then opened the Council on 11 October 1962 in a
public session and read the declaration Gaudet Mater Ecclesia
before the Council Fathers assembled for this first session.

• Actual preparations for the Council took more than two years, and
The Second included work from 10 specialised commissions. These groups,
composed mostly of members of the Roman Curia, produced 987

Vatican proposed constituting sessions, making it the largest gathering in

any council in church history. (This compares to Vatican I, where
737 Church leaders attended, mostly from Europe.)
Council -3 • Also, before the Council began, the Catholic bishops from around
the 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.
 • Attendance varied in later sessions from 2,100
to over 2,300. In addition, a varying number of
periti (Latin: "experts") were available for
theological consultation—a group that turned
out to have a major influence as the council
The Second went forward.

Vatican • Seventeen Orthodox Churches and Protestant

denominations sent observers. More than three
Council -4 dozen representatives of other Christian
communities were present at the opening
session, and the number grew to nearly 100 by
the end of the 4th Council Sessions.
 • In the course of its history, each religion will engage
with events, issues and people. Some of these
events, issues or people will occur because of the
religion itself. An example might be the process of
Religious founding and establishing a religion. Other events,
issues or people may originate outside of the
events and religion, but because of their nature they impact
upon a religion. A good example would be the
issues French Revolution.
• Furthermore, the types of event, issue or people
that do have an impact upon a religion do not
operate in isolation. Such events, issues and people
tend to interact with each other and with religion in
a dynamic way.
A significant • In the history of the Catholic Church there have
been many significant religious events and
religious issues. In the recent history of the Church the
Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) is an event
event: The that has been significant for both the Church
and its interactions with others.
Second • Understanding this event and its significance
Vatican requires an appreciation of what led to the
Council, what happened during the council and
Council -2 what occurred after it concluded.
 Before the Council

A significant • The Catholic Church is part of the Christian faith tradition. One of the most
concerning aspects for most Christians has been the existence of divisions

religious
within the Christian community. Two important divisions that has led to
much conflict, tension and suffering both within Christianity and for people
in general have been the East-West Schism (1054) and the Reformation

event: The
which began in the sixteenth century.

The Reformation

Second • The Reformation in particular created many social, political, theological and
pastoral challenges for the Catholic Church. Often the response of the

Vatican Catholic Church to these matters had been mistrust and rejection of anything
that came from the various forms of Protestant Christianity that developed
from the Reformation.

Council -3 • Healing these divisions and addressing the differences that existed was seen
by the Catholic Church as an exercise in bringing non-Catholic Christians back
to the Church and an acceptance of the truth and centrality of the Catholic
Church, its authority and teachings.
 Colonisation

A significant • Within European society two significant movements led

to significant impacts upon religion in general as well as
religious for the Catholic Church.

event: The • The first of these was a rediscovery of peoples and

cultures different to that of Europe. Through the process
Second of colonisation, Christian missionaries came into contact
with many of these people. This interaction exposed

Vatican Europeans to the reality that there are many different

religions in the world. Often these interactions
contributed to the destruction or disregard of these
Council -4 peoples, their cultures and their religions. However,
Europeans could not ignore the fact that in terms of
religion there was a plurality of outlooks.
 The Enlightenment

A significant • The second movement was the Enlightenment. This movement

occurred during a period of time that stretched roughly from the

religious
seventeenth century through the eighteenth century. During this
period of time western thought and culture underwent
revolutions in the way people thought about science, philosophy,
event: The society and politics. The culmination of these developments was
the French Revolution.

Second • In terms of religion, the authority and position of religion and in

particular the Catholic Church were challenged, confronted and in
some cases, removed.
Vatican • The emergence of a ‘modern world’ posed many challenges for the
Catholic Church. During the nineteenth century and the first half of
Council -5 the twentieth century the Catholic Church was often suspicious
and hostile towards many new developments occurring in society,
politics and religion. This defensive mindset within the Church
coloured much of the Church’s interaction with society.
A significant The First Vatican Council
religious • Within this context the Church held the First
event: The Vatican Council. This Council had opened on 8
December 1869 but adjourned on 20 October
Second 1870 after Rome was captured by the Kingdom
of Italy, and was never reconvened. The First
Vatican Vatican Council was most noted for its
definition of papal infallibility.
Council -5
 Engagement with the modern world

A significant • Despite misgivings and hostility towards the modern world the Church did
engage with the modern world in two key ways.
religious • First, it began to recognise that many in society were being disadvantaged by

event: The
developments that were occurring in society, particularly with regard to
industrialisation. Out of this concern grew what became known as the
Church’s social doctrine.

Second • A second key way in which the Church engaged with the modern world was
through the work of some important Catholic scholars. Often these scholars

Vatican risked their careers and standing within the Church. Some, working quietly,
began to grapple with the ideas of the modern world. Others began to use
the methods and techniques that developed in the modern to rediscover

Council -6 important understandings from the Church’s past, particularly from the
earliest Christian communities. This research involved aspects of Church life
and understanding in areas such as liturgy, sacraments, biblical studies and
Church history.
 The Church in the twentieth century

A significant • During the twentieth century huge upheavals in society occurred. These included two
World Wars, a Cold War and an economic depression. It saw the development of new

religious
ideologies in the form of fascism and communism. New technology and scientific
discoveries also had a significant impact upon society of which many were beneficial,
some were harmful.

event: The • The violence and destruction that occurred throughout the world during the first half of
the twentieth century had a huge impact upon the Catholic Church. First, those
responsible for the violence or who supported the use of violence were often Christians,

Second •
including Catholics. Second, those who suffered also included many Catholics.

The Church often found itself caught between the perpetrators and victims of such

Vatican violence. Sometimes members of the Church and its leadership were silent in the face of
violence. Sometimes they were accomplices. Sometimes they were advocates and agents
of peace.

Council -7 • The trauma of this violent period of time reached its climax with the state sponsored
ethnic cleansing and murder unleashed by Nazi Germany. Culminating with the holocaust
of Jewish people during World War Two, the Church, after the war, was confronted, along
with many other people, with its role in this matter.
 • Along with the aftermath of the World War Two, much of the

A significant
world then began to grapple with the challenges of de-
colonisation, communism, the Cold War and the threat of
nuclear annihilation. All of these issues posed challenges for
religious the Church, challenges the Church increasingly could not
ignore.
event: The The election of Pope John XXIII

Second • On the October 28, 1958 a new pope was elected by the
College of Cardinals. Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (25
Vatican November 1881 – 3 June 1963), who became Pope John
XXIII, was an elderly man who some saw as a transitional
Council -8 pope. However, not long after being elected pope, John XXIII
announced he was calling an Ecumenical Council (January
1959). This historic event became known as the Second
Vatican Council (1962-1965) (This event is also known as
Vatican II).
 • The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) was the most significant
event in the modern era of the Catholic Church. The following
extract from the website ‘vatican2voice’ outlines some key reasons
why this event was so significant for Catholicism:

The Second • The Council was instrumental for renewal in the self-
understanding of the Church, its inner life and its relationship to
other Christian traditions, other religions and the world. Those
Vatican participating in or who lived through the time of the Council felt
a profound, exhilarating sense of renewal and virtually

Council experienced a new Pentecost. Pope John XXIII set the tone when
opening the Council:

• The Church should never depart from the sacred treasure

of truth inherited from the Fathers. But at the same time
she must ever look to the present, to the new conditions
and the new forms of life introduced into the modern
world.
 • With the passage of time, and now at the fiftieth anniversary of
the years of the Council, there is a widespread feeling that the
Vatican II legacy is being lost. Even to speak positively about the
Council is to incur suspicion in some quarters. It would be well to
recall the words of Pope Paul VI speaking soon after the close of

The Second the Council to establish its status:

• Whatever were our opinions about the Council’s various

Vatican doctrines before its conclusions were promulgated, today
our adherence to the decisions of the Council must be

Council -2 whole hearted and without reserve; it must be willing and

prepared to give them the service of our thought, action
and conduct. The Council was something very new: not all
were prepared to understand and accept it. But now the
conciliar doctrine must be seen as belonging to the
magisterium of the Church and, indeed, be attributed to the
breath of the Holy Spirit. (Paul VI to the Roman Curia, 23
April, 1966)
 • Whilst the Second Vatican Council took place
in the 1960’s it has lost none of its relevance
nearly fifty years on and should still be centre
place in the consciousness of the Church. As
The Second Blessed John-Paul II wrote on the eve of the
new millennium:
Vatican • …there [in the Council] we find a sure
Council -3 compass by which to take our bearings in
the century now beginning (ie: Its
influence continues)
 The number and variety of participants at the
council signalled some important developments
within the Church as well as in its relations with
wider society. The Council was a global
The Second phenomenon and was far more inclusive than
recent Councils had ever been. Given the Church’s
Vatican attitude to the world prior to the Council, this
inclusive quality signalled a major shift in the
Council Church’s outlook and relationship with wider
society.
The Catholic Church experienced a
comprehensive process of renewal with Vatican II
(1962–1965).
 An examination of the documents of Vatican II will demonstrate that they did
not change or refute any previous teachings but as Pope John XXIII desired they
sought to bring about an “aggiornamento”. A renewal of Christian living that

The Second
affirmed the essential truths and values of the past while calling for a
conversion of mind and heart in light of the current situation in society.

Vatican Council At the time of Vatican II the world faced political, social, economic, and
technological change. Vatican II sought to teach people of the day how the

– Pope’s Church relates to their lives.

Words…
Pope John’s opening speech to the Council:

• The greatest concern of the ecumenical Council is that the sacred deposit
Church’s of Christian doctrine should be guarded and taught more effectively. ...the
Church should never depart from the sacred treasure of truth ... But at

Mission the same time, she must ever look to the present, to the new conditions
and the new forms of life introduced into the modern world. (Pope John’s
opening speech to the Second Vatican Council, 11 October 1962)
 • Two key words used to describe the work of renewal
undertaken by the Second Vatican Council were:

• Aggiornamento means “a bringing up to date". This

word expressed an important aim Pope John XXIII had for
Aggiornament the Council, namely, finding ways to rethink and
reformulate the Christian faith in order to more
o and effectively communicate the Gospel.

Ressourcement • Ressourcement, means “a return to the authoritative

sources”. This word described an important way of
. meeting the aims of the Council, the refreshing of
Catholic thought in order to respond to the challenges of
the time. Central to this approach was an openness to
rediscovering the truth and meaning to be found in the
authoritative sources of Christian faith, particularly in
biblical and patristic sources.
 Significant
Church
Teaching that
• Vatican II produced sixteen documents of
came out of which are the "Four Foundational
SECOND Constitutions" from which other documents
depend.
VATICAN
COUNCIL
 1. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium addresses liturgical changes. It is the
first of the documents of Vatican II and even today remains what most people associate with Vatican II.
2. The Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes was all about the human person, the individual, the
community, the entire human family. It was concerned in cooperating to find true and just responses to

Vatican II
the enormous challenges of modern times, to the needs of others.
3. On Revelation, (Dei Verbum) outlines the close relationship between Revelation, the Word of God,
Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium and clarified that the Magisterium is not above the Word of
God but serves it faithfully."

foundational 4. On the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church (Lumen Gentium) the central document of Vatican II.
Which has the following chapters:

documents
I. The Mystery of the Church
II. The People of God
III. On the Hierarchical Structure of the Church and In Particular on the role of bishops
IV. The Laity
V. The Universal Call to Holiness in the Church
VI. Religious
VII. The Eschatological Nature of the Pilgrim Church and Its Union with the Church in Heaven
VIII.The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God in the Mystery of Christ and the Church
 • The documents of Vatican II continue to
challenge Catholics today about how they are
called to live their lives as God wants; how the
faithful are called to discern their Catholic
identity, discipleship and vocation, how they are
IMPACT OF to celebrate the sacraments and in particular
the importance of participating in Eucharist as
VATICAN 11 the source and summit of their lives.
• Vatican II challenges believers to understand
Church, to read and pray the Scriptures, to
value marriage, family and discipleship and to
work at bringing about church unity.
 • The Second Vatican Council was an important event for the
Church, both in terms of Church life and how the Church
relates to the wider world. It created a new dynamic within
the Church that many embraced as a positive development.
Some, however, were unhappy with the Council and its
outcomes.
After the • With the conclusion of the Council the Church soon found

Council
itself faced with a number of new challenges. The first was
how best to understand and implement the teachings of the
Council. The second challenge the Church faced was how to
engage in dialogue with the world and in particular how to
respond to new developments within society. The third
challenge it faced was how to respond to dissenting voices
within the Church community, this included those opposed
to or who expressed concerns about the Council’s teachings
or developments within the Church following the Council.
 • Much of what has occurred in the life of the
Church since the Second Vatican Council has
been influenced by the outcomes of the Council
and its aftermath. When evaluating the
significance of this event some consideration of
what has taken place and continues to unfold
AFTER THE within the Church as well the Church’s
relationships with the rest of society needs to
COUNCIL -2 be examined. It is also important to recognise
that there are a range of opinions concerning
the Council, its effects and significance.
Acknowledging and understanding some of
these differing perspectives are an important
part of any evaluation of the Council.
A significant • In the history of the Catholic Church there have
been many significant religious events and
religious issues. In the recent history of the Church the
Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) is an event
event: The that has been significant for both the Church
and its interactions with others.
Second • Understanding this event and its significance
Vatican requires an appreciation of what led to the
Council, what happened during the council and
Council what occurred after it concluded.
 1. What are some examples of religious
structures and processes?
2. What are the main features of a
particular religious structure and/or
REVIEW process?
3. What are some examples of important
QUESTIONS issues a religion needs to address?
1-4 4. What role has a particular religious
structure and/or process played in
helping a religion address important
issues?
 1. What are some examples of significant
religious events and issues from the past?
2. What is one significant religious event
from the past?
3. What happened during this event?
REVIEW 4. What was the context in which this event
QUESTIONS occurred?

1-7 5. What were the main causes of this event?

6. What were some of the main outcomes
of this event?
7. Why was this religious event significant
and for whom?