This book was led by a group of 12 authors who wrote specific articles of interest to those who study the documents of Council Vatican II, and it was edited by two authors, Faggioli and Vicini.
One was concerned with Vatican II
revisited as Reconciliation. The entire document on reconciliation comes from the wisdom and experience of Pope John XXIII who called this council and did much of the preparatory work on it, even though he died before the Council was completed. This section is called “The Church in the Modern World; not the Church for the modern world. It is for the whole for humanity, not just the church members. It is a teaching document , not a condemnatory
one.
Chapter Two deals with the church’s pastoral style and draws heavily on Luke’s Acts of the Apostles. Examples are easily drawn from that Scripture , and emphasizes the need for FAMILY in the church. Perhaps this is a forward looking glimpse to Pope Francis who calls the church to be a gentle shepherd, even to “smell like sheep”.
One long chapter is devoted to “Contraception and the Council”, and is written by three Jesuit
moralists, who give varied explanations and conclusions.
Humility in the Church and liturgical reform are two important chapters, in fact liturgical reform was paramount in the entire work of the council. Interestingly the burial rites of the three Kennedy brothers (John, Bob. Edward) were examined in some detail, and compared as the church moved along in changes in
rituals.
Morality and social ethics receive large explanations of do’s and don’ts. There is some disappointment in this reader that Yves Congar OP received so little attention because he was very influential in answering questions night and day of the various bishops who needed answers NOW! Perhaps Congar didn’t belong to the right religious Order at the time! This book is truly
Jesuit!
