Some like the Marcel Lefebvre over the years have argued against the validity and the interpretation of Vatican II. Lefebvre was in fact excommunicated for his defiance. With the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict lovingly invites the faithful to re-examine the documents of Vatican II, and more importantly to see how the teachings support and enrich the Church's tradition.
A recent lecture given by Fr. Johannes Grohe, professor of the History of the Church titled, "The Second Vatican Council in Relation to the Ecumenical Councils", emphasizes the continuity of the Church. He was speaking at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce for an academic celebration on St. Thomas Aquinas. In his talk Fr. Grohe said, "The Second Vatican Council is - and must remain - for the Catholic Church an expression of the solemn and supreme Magisterium in our time."
For those who exploited the council documents with liberal and personal interpretations, Fr. Grohe points out that this approach is erroneous, "One cannot renounce the need for a reception of the fundamental texts of Vatican II any more than one could renounce the work of other ecumenical councils in the past". Fr. Grohe stressed "that the Council opened on October 11, 1962, by John XXIII "was not intended to define new dogmas", but to propose "with supreme authority - for the entire Christian community - traditional doctrine in a new way and with a new pastoral attitude". Thus all the documents are valid and have 'universal value' and "are binding, and must be accepted even by those who wish to enter into communion with the Catholic Church". In total, there are sixteen documents from Vatican II. Why not, if you have not read any, begin by reading one them for the Year of Faith?
During the last 50 years, the progressivists have helped to promote a false 'spirit of Vatican II'. One is over the post-Vatican II liturgy of the new Roman Missal and the Tridentine Mass. Another misleading idea about Vatican II is that it gave the green light to all kinds of social/political issues with serious moral consequences. On the misconceptions about contraception, it was Paul VI that made the Church's position clear in 1968 with his encyclical, Humanae Vitae. Sadly the majority of Canadian bishops, as did those from most Western countries, didn't listen: they essentially instructed the faithful to follow their conscience on moral issues. But now think of the many issues that have wreaked so much moral havoc in these societies, including our own: abortion on demand, women priests, married priests, gay bishops, gay marriage and same-sex marriage.
The list goes on with schools and institutions that call themselves Catholic but are, in effect, Catholic-in-name-only. Consider the current battle in our schools against the secular "Equity" policy. What about the liberal use of condoms to fight AIDS, and government funding for abortions and embryonic stem-cell research. The Year of Faith can be time to re-visit Vatican II with the "spirit of truth" and re-discover what it means to be Catholic and to follow the teaching of the Church. Had we lived the true intentions of Vatican II, not the lies and sometimes deliberate misrepresentations, Canada today and the entire West would be a much better place. With the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict proposes to all of us another chance.
We conclude with the prophetic words of Pope John XXIII as he opened the Council proceedings in 1962, "The greatest concern of the Ecumenical Council is this: that the sacred deposit of Christian doctrine should be guarded and taught more efficaciously. That doctrine embraces the whole of man, composed as he is of body and soul. And, since he is a pilgrim on this earth, it commands him to tend always toward heaven."
"This demonstrates how our mortal life is to be ordered in such a way as to fulfill our duties as citizens of earth and of heaven, and thus to attain the aim of life as established by God. That is, all men, whether taken singly or as united in society, today have the duty of tending ceaselessly during their lifetime toward the attainment of heavenly things and to use for this purpose only, the earthly goods, the employment of which must not prejudice their eternal happiness." What are you, your family and your church going to do for the upcoming Year of Faith?
