Soup and Vatican II March 3rd, 2004

Joyful Joan of Arc parishioners gathered Wednesday for soup, service and spiritual sustenance. Hospitality Hall buzzed with the sounds of old friends talking and new friends meeting. All the soups tasted great and many of us wished we could try every variety. So much soup, such little stomachs!

The prayer service theme centered on “all creation is sacred”. In addition to readings, presenters read from two lists that were created by recent high school students and WWII era Marine Corp cadets who were asked to name simple pleasures. No one could tell which list was which as the presenters read items such as: the feel of the sun on your back, the way a child grabs your finger when you reach out your hand, and the smell of rain. Each of us then wrote down our additions and some of us shared those thoughts. Added to the list were: the pink colors of the sun setting after a rain, the delighted squeal of a grandchild as she leaps into your arms, a purring cat on your belly. We listened to Peter Mayer’s touching and powerful song “Everything is Holy Now” and watched a slide show of beautiful images. The service ended with all of us singing “My Favorite Things” with gusto!

Sister Joan Chittister

After the service, Father George spoke about our Catholic Heritage, the first discussion in this Lenten series. He began with a story about Sr. Joan Chittister. Someone once asked Sister Joan why she stayed in the church. She replied to this person sitting in a dark auditorium that she thought of oysters. Oysters? The person was befuddled. Sister Joan explained. Oysters secrete a substance when a grain of sand irritates them. Over time, with many irritations, this substance becomes a pearl and the oyster becomes more valuable. She then said that’s how she discovered the ministry of irritation!

Most of Fr. George’s talk centered on the second Vatican Council. During this time, Fr. George was a student studying in Rome. The former bishop of Fargo, Fr. George’s hometown, had become a cardinal. George had become friendly with the cardinal and his secretaries while in Fargo. Because of this friendship, Fr. George was often invited to council sessions, lunches with the bishops and afternoon reports. He shared with us what a privilege and honor it was to be present at such a momentous time in history then talked about the council, the documents it produced and the changes the church has undergone since Vatican II. The rest of this article relays his lecture.

Pope John XXIII, the interim pope, called for Vatican II in 1959 saying it was time to open the windows of the church and time for renewal. The last council had been the Council of Trent, which had been held 400 years before. Trent had been called to respond to and protect the church from the issues that led to the reformation. The church had not changed since Trent and by 1959, was somewhat frozen in time.

The Vatican II councils met in four sessions from 1961 to 1965 and included 2000 bishops along with observers from other Christian denominations. The council drew on the works and thoughts of liturgists, theologians and experts from many fields that had been working on these ideas for a generation. This group of bishops eventually produced 16 major documents.

The proceedings were not always easy. Vatican bureaucrats were in favor of the status quo while pastoral bishops were in favor of change. An early report was so stacked in favor of the bureaucratic status quo that the Bishop of Belgium called an emergency session. The report was redrafted in a more balanced manner. This bold move gave all the bishops a new sense of freedom to speak that characterized the rest of the council sessions.

The documents produced by this council dramatically affected the church and continue to shape it today. Following is a summary of the major elements and changes Fr. George discussed:

Liturgical Changes	The Mass changed from Latin to the language of the people. The altar changed from the priest facing away from the congregation to facing the congregation. This eventually influenced other sacramental changes and led to greater flexibility in the Liturgy.
On Revelation	The discussion on revelation was an enormous struggle between those who believed in Scripture only and those who believed that the Spirit was alive and working in the church. In the end, the bishops decided that the Spirit was alive in the church. This means the church can grow and change.
Nature of the Church	For the first time, the church was defined not as a hierarchy but as the people of God.
Role of the Bishops	The role shifted from a top-down hierarchical structure to a college of bishops with a collective responsibility.
Religious Liberty	In the past, questioning meant a person “erred” and that person was quashed. Vatican II states that individuals have the right to follow their own conscience. It also states that Catholics may not impose their views on others if Catholics happened to be dominant in a culture. This greatly affected American politics. Before this statement, people were reluctant to elect a Catholic President.
Ecumenism	Catholics and other Christian denominations began a dialog and to build relationships. This later led to relationships with other world faiths as well.
On the Church in the Modern World	The church does not exist in a vacuum. It must read the signs of the times. The church exists to make a difference in the world.
Social Mission of the Church	The church is committed to making the world better.
Importance of Scripture	In the past, Catholics focused on what the church said or what the bishops said. Vatican II put the focus back on Scripture.
Expanded Role of Laity	Vatican II expanded the roles of people other than priests such as liturgists, youth ministers etc.

Now, some forty years after Vatican II, we find ourselves in the middle of a turbulent shift from an old paradigm to a new one. The ancient worldview looked at the world as a three-tiered universe—heaven, earth and hell. This was the norm. Heaven was up, earth was the center and hell was down. In the new paradigm, spirit and matter are intertwined. Everything is holy now. There is no more dualism. The world is charged with the grandeur of God. The old paradigm’s cosmology viewed God as an outside agent, interpreted Genesis literally and focused solely on human beings as God’s creation. The new paradigm’s cosmology embraces our 13 million year evolution, looks not only at humans but the entire Earth as a living organism and a creation of God.

The old paradigm demanded obedience and adherence to rules. Spirituality meant asking God to fulfill wants. The new paradigm focuses on relationships and growth. Spirituality is broader and deeper and includes meditation, centering prayer, honoring the earth and more.

The old paradigm’s starting point for Christ began with Christ as Divine—a high Christology. The new paradigm’s view of Christ does not negate his Divinity, but begins with Christ as a human being and focuses on his teachings and compassion in the world. The old paradigm’s theology focused mainly on humans fall from grace and need for redemption. Original sin was passed on from generation to generation. People were preoccupied with personal salvation so they could get to heaven. But we are not intrinsically bad, says the new paradigm’s theology, we are intrinsically good. We have original blessing, not original sin. We care not just about our own salvation but the salvation of the entire world. We desire to infuse spirit into unhealthy systems and co-create with God.

After Fr. George spoke, the group added thoughts and comments about the topics. Those old enough to remember Vatican II recalled the enthusiasm and excitement from that time. Others shared thoughts about tension between the old and new paradigms and how difficult it can be to live during a time when both are strong and often polarizing. Fr. George recommended a new book by Marcus Borg titled “The Heart of Christianity” and reminded us that it is difficult to live in both paradigms. We use the new one, then we pray the Our Father. But, he asked, do any of us want to give up the Out Father? No one did. Our practices like praying the Our Father bind us together and to our tradition.

Laura D'Ambrosio is a new member of St. Joan of Arc. Her introduction to Joan of Arc was through a trip to Capetown with Open Arms Minnesota. She was with a group that presented Joan of Arc’s generous donation to Reverend Spiwo’s church in Guguleto, a Capetown Township. She joined the church in Spring 2003 and delights in the inspiring services, incredible programs and the caring, loving people she has met at St. Joan’s. Being a Web Reporter gives her the opportunity to attend varied events, learn fresh things and meet new people. Laura has an M.A. in Theology from the College of St. Catherine and works as a spiritual director and retreat leader in addition to her career in business analysis, training and communications. Writing about spirituality and leading groups to sacred places such as Africa and Peru is something she plans to do in the future. She lives in Eagan with her fun, furry, friend Keesha the Siberian Husky, loves to be outside in any weather, write, read and travel to wild, solitary places.

People are searching, hungry for spirituality, Fr. George said. If they don’t find what they seek in churches, they’ll find it elsewhere. That elsewhere may be good or it may not. We Christians must look at Jesus and ask what he came here for. Instead of preaching Jesus, we need to preach what Jesus taught. Reaching back to the roots of our faith, understanding and applying Vatican II and responding the Spirit moving amongst us today are all a part of our Catholic heritage.

March 3rd’s soup supper, prayer service and discussion was an inspiring evening of fellowship, prayer and learning for all who attended. Consider attending next Wednesday for soup, service and spiritual sustenance.