Chances are, if you’ve done any reading about the Catholic Church’s vision of “the Church,” you’ve probably come across the claim that everything changed at Vatican II. Prior to Vatican II, as the story goes, the Catholic Church thought that only she was “the Church;” after Vatican II, she recognized that the Orthodox and Protestants (and perhaps even non-Christians!) also form part of the Church. But is it true?
Tag: Vatican II
Post-Conciliar Chaos in the Church, from a Saintly Perspective
A saintly theologian weighs in on the post-Conciliar chaos.
Reform of the Reform?
Over at Faith and Reason, there’s an interesting discussion about the 2003 book The Reform of the Reform? A Liturgical Debate: Reform or Return, by Fr. Thomas Kocik. While I haven’t read the book, the review (which I’ve re-posted in full, below) makes clear what his position is: instead of throwing away everything before Vatican… Continue reading Reform of the Reform?
Battle of the Marinis and the Future of the Liturgy
Washington Post’s coverage on the difference between Archbishop Piero Marini, the liturgist under Pope John Paul II from 1987 onwards, and his young replacement, Monsignor Guido Marini (no relation), the liturgist under Pope Benedict XVI since 2007, is worth the read. In short, “Marini the Elder” favored trying to add a lot of local flair… Continue reading Battle of the Marinis and the Future of the Liturgy
Show Me the Text!
This solution is as simple as it is elegant: lots of theologically liberal and even heretical Catholics claim that they’re acting in accord with the “Spirit of Vatican II,” and that somehow Vatican II demands this sort of new theology. David Mills offers a simple solution in First Things: Catholics faced with an invocation of… Continue reading Show Me the Text!
Did Vatican II Change the Church’s Understanding of Church?
This morning, I mentioned Dr. Jeff Mirus’ excellent series on Vatican II. His premise is the same as our current pope’s: that Vatican II renewed and reformed, but didn’t reverse, the Church. That is, it’s the same Church before and after. So when you get folks like Cardinal Mahoney saying doltish things like “The Tridentine… Continue reading Did Vatican II Change the Church’s Understanding of Church?
A Great Series on Vatican II
Dr. Jeff Mirus at Catholic Culture has an excellent series of short commentaries on Vatican II going. So far, it includes: A funny thing about Vatican II . . . The English Editions of the Documents of Vatican II Vatican II on the Liturgy: Introduction Vatican II on the Liturgy: Overview & General Norms Vatican… Continue reading A Great Series on Vatican II