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I think sometimes our focus is misplaced on what Vatican II changed rather than on what has remained the same. But some of the changes I could note are:
The Second Vatican Council was called by Pope John XXIII in 1962, and continued under Pope Paul VI until 1965 when it issued “The Documents of Vatican II,” each on different aspects of church teaching and doctrine. The attitude of these documents were remarkably different from any the Roman Church had ever produced. What was different was they were full of scriptural references, and did not include any blatant “curses” on those who did not agree (as previous councils had done).
On previous occasions, Rome has changed her tactics when old methods became ineffective, but she has never changed her nature. In any religious organization, doctrine is the most basic and important part of its structure, since what people believe determines what they do. An official document, `The Constitution on the Church’ prepared by the Council and approved by the Pope, reaffirms basic Catholic doctrine precisely as it stood before the Council met.
In fact, no more sweeping claims were made by the Council of Trent (1545-1563), nor by the First Vatican Council (1870), than are made in these documents from Vatican II. Despite all the claims to the contrary, the Council has firmly maintained the doctrine of the primacy of Peter (4) and of papal succession
Dr. Loraine Boettner, noted authority on Roman Catholic doctrine, takes an in-depth look at the documents of Vatican II in the preface to the fifth edition of his book Roman Catholicism. And he writes:
I think sometimes our focus is misplaced on what Vatican II changed rather than on what has remained the same. But some of the changes I could note are:
The Second Vatican Council was called by Pope John XXIII in 1962, and continued under Pope Paul VI until 1965 when it issued “The Documents of Vatican II,” each on different aspects of church teaching and doctrine. The attitude of these documents were remarkably different from any the Roman Church had ever produced. What was different was they were full of scriptural references, and did not include any blatant “curses” on those who did not agree (as previous councils had done).
On previous occasions, Rome has changed her tactics when old methods became ineffective, but she has never changed her nature. In any religious organization, doctrine is the most basic and important part of its structure, since what people believe determines what they do. An official document, `The Constitution on the Church’ prepared by the Council and approved by the Pope, reaffirms basic Catholic doctrine precisely as it stood before the Council met.
In fact, no more sweeping claims were made by the Council of Trent (1545-1563), nor by the First Vatican Council (1870), than are made in these documents from Vatican II. Despite all the claims to the contrary, the Council has firmly maintained the doctrine of the primacy of Peter (4) and of papal succession
Dr. Loraine Boettner, noted authority on Roman Catholic doctrine, takes an in-depth look at the documents of Vatican II in the preface to the fifth edition of his book Roman Catholicism. And he writes:
“Her purpose is not union, but ABSORPTION” - this I think is an important point regarding what ecumenicism is. I think how Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion, was definitely a Catholic Film but how it has touched the lives of many non-Catholic Christians – how many of them may convert to Catholicism through it’s influence will not be readily known. But ecumenicism and evangalization of the Catholic Faith, I would say, are probably the two biggies instituted (and misunderstood) by Vatican II.
