Second Vatican

Council Class IV: Third Session

Fr. John Mayo

Pope Paul VI Visits the Holy Land

Paul VI intended this visit to be religious, not political.

One of reasons why council did not really debate Judaism

Day I: Holy Mass at Church of Holy Sepulchre and walk along Via Dolorosa

Day II: Meets Patriarch Benedict (Orthodox)

While out Sightseeing...Before returning to the old city of Jerusalem, Paul VI makes a defense of Pius XII

Upon return, meets with Patriarch Athenagoras

Greatly moves the Pope

Challenging WordsThe next day, the Pope makes a challenging speech in Bethlehem framed as “the confession of the Church of Rome”

Also met the Patriarch again

Intersession ActivityThere were still a dozen schemata waiting to be presented to the Council

The Council was still suffering from poor planing and execution during this period

Some even proposed a lengthy recess of several years to reflect and experiment before promulgating reform

Rule Changes

Moderators can now call speakers together and group them together

Summary 5 days ahead of time

Cardinals now subject to rules

Now actually harder to debate

Change in membership

Opening of Third SessionBegan September 14, 1964 with a concelebrated Mass

Expressed need for Church to define herself, while at same time maintaining Papal primacy

Reaffirms openness to collegiality

Debate on The ChurchNow 8 chapters

4 new chapters on the universal call to holiness, religious life, eschatology, and the Blessed Mother

Eschatology- Need to speak about purgatory and hell

Mary- Need clearer text

Finally A VOTE!!!

Chapter I De Ecclesia- 2,114 yea, 11 nay, 63 revise

Chapter II approved- 1,615 yea, 19 nay, 553 revise

Pastoral Office of Bishop

Fathers like it in terms of defining their office and role

Some still attack collegiality

Religious Liberty

Question of relativism Cardinal Ritter- Accept Religious Liberty, perhaps not give motive for it?

Attacked- need to give a motive for it, especially in Communist countries.Motive given

Man has natural right to search and find truthNatural right to follow conscienceSupernatural Order

“Unless we have this declaration there can be no dialogue with men of good will.”

Declaration on the JewsPresented on September 25th by Cardinal Bea

Revised from original draft; no more political overtones

Cardinal Lercaro- Makes a special attempt to see this happen

Divine Revelation

Document which created crisis at Session I

Totally rewritten

Cannot simplify too much

Collegiality ApprovedAgainst the theological arguments pro and con, Archbishop Pietro Parente makes a brilliant point

Changes the debate

Approved, with changes recommended

The October CrisisConcern begins to sweep through the chamber that Archbishop Felici was swinging the council toward the minority

Example: During debate on collegiality

“Black Week”Oct. 7th: Cardinal Cicognani convenes Coordinating Commission

Secretary General Felici is tasked there by Cicognani to delay the schema on the Jews and Religious Liberty

Felici writes two letters to Cardinal Bea Letter I: Make the document on Jews a subset of De EcclesiaLetter II: Holy Father desires a special mixed commission to study

Blown by namesBea and Felici have words Counteroffensive: Petition to Paul VIPaul VI does order commission to study Religious Libery, but in accord with council rules

Debate on LaityPresented by Cardinal Cento

No laity really consulted

Badly Organized

Ritter: The document is clericalist, suffers from juridicism, as well as favoritism

Debate on Eastern Churches

Shorter document (54-30), but still to Western

Need for Eastern Churches to “convert” to Western

All but 3 of the provisions will pass

“The Church in the Modern World”

Also known as “Schema 13”; had been worked on since session I

Almost did not make it to the floor because of “Black Week”

Cardinal Cento: “No other document had aroused so much interest and raised so many hopes.”

Contents of Document4 Chapters

Church service to the world

Poverty

Overpopulation

War

Pros and Cons of the Document

Pros

Dealt with issues of the world

Clarity

Generosity

Cons

Lacked doctrinal foundation

Cautious OptimismOctober 23rd

Schema approved for discussion 1,579-296 (200 not there!)

Third session would end on November 21st

We might actually finish our work!

Chapter I

Atheism

Especially as seen in Communism

Renewed vision of world based on God and Christ

Chapter II and III Church and the World

Church seemed to withdrawn in text

Leaven

Meat on Fridays

Bishops attire and poverty

Science

Chapter IV

Most Controversial?

As a whole: Cardinal Ritter.

Racial Discrimination

Denounced religiously

Role of women

Birth Control

Church and Culture

Culture or civilization?

Need to speak about proper level of human existence

Triumphalism vs poverty?

West vs. East

Economic

Private property: primary and absolute?

Applause of social encyclicals

Solidarity

Nuclear War

Nations without bomb: ban it!

Nations with bomb: “just war”

Debate on Christian Education

Parents should be able to choose Catholic schools

Government assistance “vouchers”

More religious spirit?

Catholics in public education

Votum on Marriage 1. Suppression of minor impediments

2. Less rigid standards for mixed marriages

3. Revision of canonical form for marriage

Sent to Holy Father for consideration 1,592-426

De Ecclesia on Collegiality

Chapters 3-8 of De Ecclesia handed back to Council Fathers with revisions added and an explanatory note from “a higher authority.”

Most likely Paul VI College- juridical senseConsecration vs. exerciseCollege always understood as bishops with popeCollege always existed, but not always in a collegial manner

Collegiality

Not a solemn definition like infallibility at Vatican I

Instead, a solemn statement

Two more documents approvedDeclaration on non-Christian Religions

1,651 Yea, 242 Yea with revisions, 99 Nay

Decree on Ecumenism

Only 64 Nay

Decree on Eastern Catholic Churches

Religious liberty next session

End of the Session Strained

New Marian Dogma “Mother of the Church”

Speech itself

Preoccupied with new dogma

No new details

Until Next Week...