What Is the Church? The Role of Vatican II

Thursday July 12, 2007

In the recent document "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church," the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith addressed five questions about Catholic ecclesiology, or the Catholic understanding of the nature of the Church, in order to clarify "the authentic meaning of some ecclesiological expressions used by the magisterium which are open to misunderstanding in the theological debate."

The first question discussed is "Did the Second Vatican Council change the Catholic doctrine on the Church?" In one sense, the question seems almost rhetorical, because, by definition, ecumenical councils can define doctrines or explain them more fully, but they cannot change them. And that is answer offered by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: "The Second Vatican Council neither changed nor intended to change this doctrine, rather it developed, deepened and more fully explained it."

Unfortunately, in the wake of Vatican II, many Catholics, including bishops, priests, and theologians, acted as if the council had changed this doctrine, playing down the claim of the Catholic Church to be the fullest expression of the Church founded by Christ Himself. This was often done out of a sincere desire to advance Christian unity, but it may, in fact, have harmed efforts at true reunification of all Christians by making it seem as if fewer obstacles stand in the way of such unity.

From the standpoint of the Catholic Church, union with the Eastern Orthodox Churches requires filial submission by the latter to the spiritual head of the Church established by Christ--namely, the Pope of Rome, who is the successor to St. Peter, whom Christ established as the head of His Church. Since the Orthodox maintain apostolic succession (and, thus, the sacraments), reunion would require nothing more, and the council fathers of Vatican II expressed their desire for reunion in their "Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite," Orientalium Ecclesiarium.

In the case of post-Reformation "Christian Communities," however, union requires reestablishment of apostolic succession--which, of course, can be accomplished through union. The current lack of apostolic succession means that those communities lack a sacramental priesthood, and thus are deprived of the very life of the Church and the Christian believer--the sanctifying grace that comes through the sacraments. While Vatican II encouraged Catholics to reach out to Protestants, the council fathers never intended to minimize this obstacle to Christian unity.