Posts Tagged ‘Vatican II’
Spiritual Growth in the Documents on Ecumenism from Vatican II
I am putting Orientalium Ecclesiarum, Unitatis Redintegratio and Nostra Aetate together to talk about ecumenism. Orientalium Ecclesiarum discusses the Eastern Churches who are in a state of schism with the Roman Catholic Church, but who have valid apostolic succession and valid sacraments. Unitatis Redintegratio is the main document on ecumenism, discussing our relationship with non-Catholic…
Read MoreSpiritual growth in Dei Verbum from Vatican II
What is the Word of God? Dei Verbum, which means “Word of God” in English, is the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation from the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council. It’s funny that most American Catholics are so used to hearing our Protestant brothers and sisters calling the Bible “the Word” that they immediately assume Dei Verbum…
Read MoreSpiritual Growth in Lumen Gentium from Vatican II
Lumen Gentium is the Sacred Constitution on the Church. Pope Paul VI wrote the encycilcal Ecclesiam Suam (Pathways of the Church),. In that document, he tells us that Lumen Gentium is an examination of conscience for the Church. It asks the question, “Church, what do you say of yourself?” It uses Sacred Scripture and Sacred…
Read MoreVatican II – What is Renewal?
What exactly did the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council mean by calling for a renewal of the Church? One thing that amazes me is that even after 50 years, people, in general, are still pretty mystified about what Vatican II was all about and what exactly renewal of the Church was meant to be. This is…
Read MoreLiving Catholic Spirituality in Sacrocanctum Concilium from Vatican II
Most people don’t turn to the documents of ecumenical councils for advice on how to live Catholic spirituality. So it may surprise you that we’re turning to a document like Sacrocanctum Concilium to talk about our prayer life. Sacrosanctum Concilium is the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy from the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. This document if…
Read MoreSpiritual Growth in Gaudium et Spes from Vatican II
Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes both seem to focus on Church policies and procedures. They don’t seem to be about spiritual growth at all. Yet, the Second Vatican Council reminds us that the mission of the Church belongs to everyone. Gaudium et Spes discusses how the Church needs to respond to the modern…
Read MoreA Quick Tour of the Documents of Vatican II
Most Catholics have never read the documents from the Second Vatican Council and don’t really know what the Council teaches. Instead they assume they know what the Second Vatican Council taught based on the changes that happened in the Church after the Council. Unfortunately, this means that the actual teachings of the Council have yet…
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