Forty Years After Vatican II:

A Report Card on the Church

Richard R. Gaillardetz, Ph.D.Murray/Bacik Professor Catholic Studies

University of Toledo

Areas of Conciliar Teaching:

Our Understanding of the Church The Church’s Mission in the World The Liturgical and Sacramental Life of the Church Structures and Exercise of Church Leadership

I. Our Understanding of theChurch

A. Conciliar Shift: From a Church that was…

Clericalist Juridicist Triumphalist

…to a Church that is… A. The Body of Christ B. The People of God C. The Temple of the Holy Spirit D. A Pilgrim Church

I. Our Understanding of the Church

B. Evidence of Implementation of Conciliar Teaching

The People’s “Ownership of Church” on Display in Recent Crisis

Flourishing of Lay Ministry Reflects Church as a “Symphony of Charisms”

Purification of Memories and the Church’s Honest Recognition of Past Sins

I. Our Understanding of theChurch

C. Work Still to Be Done Need to See Reform and Renewal as

Integral to the Church’s Life Not Just an Occasional “Course Correction”

Need to Cultivate a Deeper and More Ecclesial Eucharistic Spirituality

D. Grade: B+

II. The Church’s Mission in the World

A. Conciliar Shift: From Siege Mentality to Dialogical Engagement with the World

Church in the World not Church and the World

Laity Have Positive Role in Applying Gospel to Issues and Concerns of Humankind Today

Church Has Both Something to Offer the World (Christ) and Something to Learn From the World

II. The Church’s Mission in the World

B. Evidence of Implementation of Conciliar Teaching

Recognition of the Importance of the Diversity of Cultures and the Christian Faith’s Engagement with Those Cultures

Recognition of Importance of Inter-Religious Dialogue

Recognition of Importance of Positive Engagement between Religion and Science

Pope and American Bishops are Consistent Advocates for Justice in the World

II. The Church’s Mission in the World

C. Work Still to Be Done             Church Must Apply Social Justice

Teaching to Its Own Life

Catholic Social Justice Teaching Has Not Yet Been Received by Large Numbers of the Faithful as Integral to Their Faith

D.Grade: A-

III. The Liturgical and Sacramental Life of the Church

A. Conciliar Shift: From a Mechanistic View of Sacraments to a Genuine Liturgical Spirituality

Renewed Emphasis on the Active Participation of All in the Liturgy

Renewed Emphasis on the Communal Dimension of All Sacraments

Renewed Emphasis on a Theology of the Liturgy as Trinitarian and Paschal

Acknowledgement of Legitimate Diversity in Liturgical Life of Local Churches

III. The Liturgical andSacramental Life of the Church

B. Evidence of Implementation of Conciliar Teaching

More Active Participation of the Faithful

Liturgy More Intelligible (Use of Vernacular)

Reforms in Liturgical/ Sacramental Life Have Recovered More Ancient Liturgical Sensibility

Liturgical Ministries Have Been Expanded

III. The Liturgical and Sacramental Life of the Church

C. Work Still to Be Done Liturgical Theology not Sufficiently

Appropriated by the Faithful Recent Signs Pointing to a Return to

Rubricism and Formalism A Re-Centralization of Liturgical Decision-

making that is Ecclesiologically Unjustifiable and Opposed to the Spirit of the Council

D. Grade: C+

IV. Structures and Exercise of Church Leadership

A. Conciliar Shift: From Governance Over the Church to Leadership in Service of the Church

Magisterium not Above Word of God but in Its Service Bishops and Priests are to be Pastors more than Rulers Bishops are not Vicars of Pope but Vicars of Christ and

Ordinary Leaders of Their Local Churches Collegiality: College of Bishops Share with the Bishop

of Rome, Head of the College, Pastoral Care of Universal Church

Clergy Should Consult Lay Faithful Because the Latter Possess a Genuine Instinct for the Faith (Sensus Fidei)

Called for Establishment of Permanent Diaconate

IV. Structures and Exercise of Church Leadership

B. Evidence of Implementation of Conciliar Teaching

Rights of the Laity Are More Explicitly Articulated in New Code of Canon Law

Canon Law Provides for a Number of Consultative Bodies

Laity Engage in Many Ministries of the Church Papacy Divested of Many Monarchical

Trappings Instruments of Collegiality Established Flourishing of Diaconate in US

IV. Structures and Exercise of Church Leadership

C. Work Still to Be Done Need to See Lay Ministry as Gift and Not a

Threat to Clergy Church Still Needs a Coherent Theology of

Presbyteral and Diaconal Ministry and Their Relationship to Lay Ministry

Curia Exercises an Authority over Local Bishops that Lacks Adequate Ecclesiological Foundation

Synod of Bishops Falls Well Short of the Permanent Episcopal Synod Possessing Deliberative Authority Hoped for by Many Council Bishops

IV. Structures and Exercise of Church Leadership

C. Work Still to Be Done Current Procedures for Episcopal

Appointment and Transfer Undermine Bishops’ Relationship to Local Church

Little Serious Effort Made to Consult the Faithful

Little Serious Effort Made to Consult Theological and Biblical Scholarship Across a Diversity of Perspectives.

D. Grade: D