The First Vatican Council had been held nearly a century before, but had been cut short in 1870 when the Italian Army entered the city of Rome at the end of Italian unification.
They were two of the most conservative, Ernesto Ruffini and Alfredo Ottaviani, who had already in 1948 proposed the idea to Pope Pius XII and who put it before John XXIII on 27 October 1958. Actual preparations for the Council took more than two years, and included work from 10 specialised commissions, people for mass media and Christian Unity, and a Central Preparatory Commission with 120 members for overall coordination, composed mostly of members of the Roman Curia.
As a result, only deliberations on the role of the papacy and the congruent relationship of faith and reason were completed, with the role of the bishops and laity in the Church left unaddressed. Pope John XXIII gave notice of his intention to convene the Council on 25 January 1959, less than three months after his election in October 1958.
They were two of the most conservative, Ernesto Ruffini and Alfredo Ottaviani, who had already in 1948 proposed the idea to Pope Pius XII and who put it before John XXIII on 27 October 1958. Actual preparations for the Council took more than two years, and included work from 10 specialised commissions, people for mass media and Christian Unity, and a Central Preparatory Commission with 120 members for overall coordination, composed mostly of members of the Roman Curia.
As a result, only deliberations on the role of the papacy and the congruent relationship of faith and reason were completed, with the role of the bishops and laity in the Church left unaddressed. Pope John XXIII gave notice of his intention to convene the Council on 25 January 1959, less than three months after his election in October 1958.
Acceptances came from both the Eastern Orthodox Church and Protestant denominations as internal observers, but these observers did not cast votes in the approbation of the conciliar documents. == Chronology == === Preparation === Pope John XXIII's announcement on 25 January 1959, in the chapter hall of the Benedictine monastery attached to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, of his intention to call a general council came as a surprise even to the cardinals present.
Reaction to the announcement was widespread and largely positive from both religious and secular leaders outside the Catholic Church, and the Council was formally summoned by the apostolic constitution Humanae Salutis on 25 December 1961.
More than three dozen representatives of other Christian communities were present at the opening session, and the number grew to nearly 100 by the end of the 4th Council Sessions. ==== Opening ==== Pope John XXIII opened the Council on 11 October 1962 in a public session at St.
() The first working session of the Council was on 13 October 1962.
When the Council met on 16 October 1962, a new slate of commission members was presented and approved by the Council.
These preparations, however, were halted upon the death of Pope John XXIII on 3 June 1963, since a Catholic ecumenical council is automatically interrupted and suspended upon the death of the pope who convened it, until the next pope orders the council to be continued or dissolved.
Pope Paul VI was elected on 21 June 1963 and immediately announced that the Council would continue. === Second period: 1963 === In the months prior to the second session, Pope Paul VI worked to correct some of the problems of organization and procedure that had been discovered during the first session.
Work went forward with the schemata on the Church, bishops and dioceses, and on ecumenism. It was in this session that a revision of the rite of the consecration of virgins that was found in the Roman Pontifical was requested; the revised Rite was approved by Pope Paul and published in 1970. On 8 November 1963, Josef Frings criticized the Holy Office, and drew an articulate and impassioned defense by its Secretary, Alfredo Ottaviani, in one of the most dramatic exchanges of the Council.
The second session ended on 4 December. === Third period: 1964 === In the time between the second and third sessions, the proposed schemata were further revised on the basis of comments from the Council Fathers.
In response, 15 women were appointed as auditors in September 1964.
They also met together on a weekly basis to read draft documents and to comment on them. During the third session, which began on 14 September 1964, the Council Fathers worked through a large volume of proposals.
While some called for more dogmas about Mary, in a 2 February 1965 speech Paul VI referred to the "Christocentric and Church-centered direction which the Council intends to give to our doctrine and devotion to our Lady". === Fourth period: 1965 === Going into the fourth session, Paul VI and most of the bishops wanted it to be the final one.
Schema 13, on the Church in the modern world, was revised by a commission that worked with the assistance of laypersons. Pope Paul VI opened the last session of the Council on 14 September 1965 and on the following day promulgated the motu proprio establishing the Synod of Bishops.
Work went forward with the schemata on the Church, bishops and dioceses, and on ecumenism. It was in this session that a revision of the rite of the consecration of virgins that was found in the Roman Pontifical was requested; the revised Rite was approved by Pope Paul and published in 1970. On 8 November 1963, Josef Frings criticized the Holy Office, and drew an articulate and impassioned defense by its Secretary, Alfredo Ottaviani, in one of the most dramatic exchanges of the Council.
(Cardinal Frings' theological adviser was the young Joseph Ratzinger, who would later as a Cardinal head the same department of the Holy See, and from 2005–13 reign as Pope Benedict XVI).
All text is taken from Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License .
Page generated on 2021-08-05