| by Victor
Cherubim
On the 11 October 2012,
sees the fiftieth anniversary of Vatican Council II.
( October 11,
2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The 21st Ecumenical
Council of the Roman Catholic Church was convened and opened by Pope, now
Blessed John XXIII on this historic day and later was closed under Pope Paul VI
on 8 December 1965. It was and is a defining moment in the annals of the Church
and interfaith relations.
I can well
remember this time as a young lad, having returned back home after my studies
in the United States and my month long visit to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s
USSR.
Visiting twelve
capitals of the Soviet States from the Baltic to the Black Sea, from Erevan in
Armenia to Tashkent in Uzbekistan, I was able to witness the faith of the
Russian Orthodox as well as Islamic believers. The Churches and the mosques
were considered as “Musei” or museums, but paradoxically, I noticed that faith
was firmly rooted.
The Vatican
Council was a defining moment in history. It came at a time of turbulence
(Cuban crisis) and challenge driven by religious, political, social, economic
and technological change. It was the time that the Chinese landed on Indian
soil, and the release of Beatles’ first single:” Love me, do”, to recount a few
events. I could hardly comprehend the scale of events at the Council, but I was
excited to watch the pageantry. Hardly did I expect that it would challenge
both faith and reason.
Faith
and Reason
The First
Vatican Council took place a century earlier and was interrupted by war.
The Second
Vatican Council was called to engage the modern world,” to open the windows of
the Church to let some fresh air,” as the then Pope John XVIII stated, inviting
observers from outside the Church, including Protestants and Eastern Orthodox
Churches, to participate.
Time Magazine
declared the Second Vatican Council, as the single most important event of the
20th century. It tried to bring the Church up to date by renewing
the faith and spiritual life, returning to scripture, tradition and liturgy, in
order to renew the deep personal and communal relationship with Christ and a
Universal God.
It was a process
influenced to make the Roman Catholic Church address the issues of the modern
day. The most noticeable of the changes called for by the Council was the
renewal of the liturgy – from prayers and music in Latin; to prayers, in the
native comprehendible languages, with the congregation termed “People of God”
as participants in the liturgy, where before their participation was mainly, as observers.
The Council
lasted three years including four sessions, with some 2500 Bishops from around
the world, attending in St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican City, with the
glimpse of the scenes of Michaelangelo’s 1508 mural on the ceiling of the
Sistene Chapel.
It led to far
reaching liberalisation, a greater voice for worshippers beyond Europe, as well
as a dialogue with other Christian, Orthodox Churches and interfaith. It also
addressed a reconsideration of marital relations, morality and sexuality.
The role of the Church
The clear
distinction between the “Church ‘in’
the modern world,” versus the Church “and”
the Modern World was drawn. This distinction differed from past ideology, that
the world around was evil, an enemy of Christ and the Church. In moving with
the times, steps towards Christian unity, interfaith dialogue was accommodated,
moreso promoted.
It was a healing
of past relations with and an understanding of other religions, as well as
agnostics and atheists, the concern for the poor, the aspirations and equality
of men and women, defence of all human life and desire to protect God’s
environment - all which can benefit the entire human race. These were issues
addressed during the sessions and their vision was all embracing.
Pageantry became
second to process, as the Church began to absorb and integrate with all faiths.
But, what was more than a good thing was the fact, that it laid bare the
weakness of man. Those who thought of the Church as a museum did not understand
that the Church had to undertake painful steps to eradicate the scandals of financial
improprieties, sexual misconduct, the child abuse, the practice of faith and
the decline in Church – particularly Mass attendance, among others.
Unlike in
previous Councils, Vatican II was not called to address some specific heresy or
threat to the Church, but to promote peace and ease antipathy among other
Christian churches and interfaith. The progressive result seen was that the
Church was more the “hierarchy of truth,” and not only a hierarchy of the
Church ministry. This is considered as among the widest changes since the
Reformation. The issue confronted by Vatican II remains as central to
Catholicism as in international relations today.
With the Vatican
II, we now see the following movements evolving – Liberation Theology in South
America enacting social change, formed as a reflection of what was seen in
society; Charismatic Movement in the Developing World seeking the awakening of
the inspiration of the Spirit of God; Opus Dei in the Developed World with
strict emphasis in the belief that everyone is called to holiness and that
ordinary life is a path to sanctity, many making noises for women’s liberation
and for pro-life; but all in all the Roman Catholic Church remains steadfast to
Rome.
What
did the Council do for the Church?
Looking introspectively
at the Church today, it is not surprising that there has been a soul search. Issues
for the future which critics mention are celibacy of priesthood, churches being
closed, clustered and merged because of finances, the episcopal timidity and
compliance in church’s leadership, lack of scientific acumen and open
discussion. While there has been a drastic drop in religious vocations and
people attending services, strangely the Church is steadfast and robust.
Looking at Sri
Lankan relations with the Roman Catholic Church since Vatican II, we proudly
note two sons of our land have been elevated to the Sacred Office of Cardinals
at the Vatican, recognition of humility. Besides, someone the other day
commented, it took two weeks for the President of the United States to have an
audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, but it only took two days for our
President Mahinda Rajapaksa to get his invitation. The Vatican Council has made
a great difference to our relations both on a spiritual and a fraternal level
with Rome. When did we see Buddhists monks and Catholic clergy share a common
platform in Sri Lanka? Interfaith
relations have blossomed in Sri Lanka.
The
Church and the Pope
Today the Roman
Catholic Church under Pope Benedict XVI provides a theological framework to
global involvement in issues from social justice and technology to economics
and ecumenism.
Things appear
much more top down, as everything seems to come from Rome, the same as before
the Council. People measuring up to the Church, rather than the Church
ministering to the people is the order of the day. But the Church continues to
be defined by Vatican Council II, as “the people of God.”
