JESUS CARITAS

By Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted | Feb. 19, 2009 | The Catholic Sun 

In parts two and three of this series, we looked at the purposes of the Second Vatican Council, at key ideas that were at work during the Council, and at some of the difficulties encountered in its implementation. Our diocese began only four years after the Council. Inevitably, then, all that took place at Vatican II and the ways it was implemented have made a lasting mark on our own diocese.

It seems helpful, in this article and in ones to follow, to look at specific teachings of Vatican II that have had the greatest impact on the Church’s life and mission in the Diocese of Phoenix and around the world. We shall begin with what was undoubtedly the principal theme of the Council: the mystery of the Church. This should help us to understand our identity as followers of Christ and our mission in the world. It should also help us to put into proper context the confused notions of the Church that arose during the years of implementation.

Finishing the work of Vatican I

The First Vatican Council was held over a two year period (1869-1870), nearly a century before Vatican II (1962-1965). At that previous gathering, the bishops from around the world had planned to issue a lengthy document on the Church. A first draft, consisting of 15 chapters, had been prepared for deliberation; but due to armed conflict in Italy and beyond, the whole process was cut short. As a result, only four chapters of the original draft were considered and eventually approved: the ones dealing with papal primacy and infallibility. While this gave us a better understanding of the role of the successor of St. Peter in preserving the faith in its integrity, it did not provide a full picture of the mystery of the Church. It is not surprising, then, that Vatican II sought to present a more complete theology of the Church and bring to completion, so to speak, the work begun at the previous Council.

In responding to this challenge, the Second Vatican Council produced not one but 16 documents, all of which touched on the nature of the Church and her mission in the world. Without a doubt, the key document among these was the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, usually known by its Latin title Lumen Gentium.

The first draft of this Constitution prepared for the first conciliar session in 1962 received a less than enthusiastic response from the bishops. Many of them found it to be too juridical in tone, too focused on ecclesiastical structures, and too narrowly articulated in scholastic philosophical categories. They called for a new draft that would incorporate fresh insights from the biblical, patristic and historical studies that were flourishing after World War II and from personal and pastoral experiences among the people of God. The second draft, while seen as a significant improvement over the first, still underwent major revision before being finally approved on Nov. 21, 1964.

Of all the documents of the Council, Lumen Gentium holds center stage. Fr. Avery Dulles, SJ, wrote, “…this Constitution, because of its central importance and its wealth of doctrine, probably deserves to be called the most imposing achievement of Vatican II.”

Concilium and Communio

It is one thing for the Church to have an ecumenical council, it is another for its teaching to be properly understood and faithfully implemented. To assist in this process of deeper understanding and implementation, two periodicals or reviews were founded by Catholic theologians from a number of countries; both of which have Latin names: Concilium and Communio. Of course, these reviews were only two of many efforts made at various levels and by diverse individuals and groups within the Church.

As the names indicate, each periodical placed special emphasis on a key theological concept, a concept in each case that was considered to be the most important one for understanding the purpose of the Council and the identity and mission of the Church.

Not only did these publications garner considerable attention in theological circles around the world, they also greatly contributed to the implementation efforts of local Churches in countries as diverse as Japan and Mexico, and in dioceses as different as Gallup and Phoenix. A closer look at each concept will throw light on the 40-year history of the Diocese of Phoenix, and help to explain some of the events and happenings of the past four decades of our local Church. So let us briefly consider the concept of Concilium and then we shall look at the concept of Communio.

Concilium

Ever wonder why the post-Vatican II Church is known for having so many meetings? It is due to the example of the bishops at the Council and to its teaching. The Latin word concilium means “council” or “assembly.” It refers to a gathering of people who offer insights and advice on key issues. Vatican II itself was a concilium. The bishops of the Church from every continent gathered at the Vatican in response to the call of Blessed John XXIII. They met in deliberative sessions, they offered advice to the pope and his successor Paul VI; and they proposed constitutions, decrees and other documents. In union with all the bishops of the Church, the Holy Father officially promulgated these documents, thereby offering to the faithful reliable teaching on matters of doctrine, discipline, religious practices, etc.

The name concilium was not chosen, however, solely to point backwards to the Second Vatican Council itself but also to emphasize an important on-going and future characteristic of the Church’s life, namely its constant “conciliar” nature. This has many practical implications. It explains why the Church, since Vatican II, requires that there be consultative bodies at all levels of Church life: such as the establishment of parish and diocesan finance councils as well as a presbyteral council (made up of priests chosen by their peers) and synods. The latest synod at the level of the universal Church took place this past October when bishops representing the Church in all the continents met for three weeks in Rome to offer insights on the Word of God and advice on how best to hand on the Good News to others at this time in history. Many other examples could be mentioned here to show how important this concept of concilium is.

At the same time, too much emphasis on concilium has the potential of distorting the true nature of the Church, leading to too much energy being poured into meetings and too much effort being given to processes. It is true that dialogue in the Church is essential for good governance and effective collaboration. But, who we are is more important that what we do. In view of these dangers, the periodical Communio was founded by a group of Catholic theologians that included Revs. Henri de Lubac, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Louis Bouyer and Joseph Ratzinger (now known as Pope Benedict XVI). Why did they see a need to begin this new periodical?

Communio

Speaking about why he helped to found the periodical Communio, the future Pope Benedict said (cf. 2002 Benevento Eucharistic Congress), “The Church does not exist primarily to deliberate; rather, she exists to live the Word that has been given to us… The Church holds councils, but she is communion… The structure of the Church, therefore, should be described, not as conciliar but as a communion.”

By using the Latin word communio, our attention is drawn quite naturally to “the eucharistic center of the Church,” and thus it reminds us that the Church is where we human beings have our most intimate encounter with Jesus. St. Paul emphasizes this great mystery when he writes (1 Cor 10:16f), “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.”

The very first paragraph of Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution emphasizes this same key concept of the Church’s identity, “By her relationship with Christ, the Church is a kind of sacrament or sign of intimate union with God, and the unity of all mankind. She is also an instrument for the achievement of such union and unity.”

Without proper attention to concilium, the expertise and insights of the laity and priests would be overlooked and the Church’s mission would be impeded. Without proper attention to Communio, our very identity as members of the Mystical Body of Christ could be forgotten. We ask the Lord to help us to be faithful to the mystery and responsibilities represented in both concilium and communio.