THE
ECUMENICAL COUNCILS
IV. LAITY, EDUCATION, et. al.
Adult
Education,
Charles P.
Poole, Jr.
1. Introduction
2. Declaration Dignitatis Humanae on Religious Freedom
2.1.
Introduction
2.2 Preface
2.3 Chap. 1 General
Principle of Religious Freedom
2.4.
Chap. 2 Religious Freedom in the Light of Revelation
3. Decree Apostolicam Actuositatem on The Apostolate of the Laity
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Chap. 1 The Layman’s Call to the Apostolate
3.3. Chap. 2 The Goals to be Achieved
3.4 Chap.
3 The Various Fields of the Apostolate
3.5. Chap. 4 The Various Methods of the Apostolate
3.6. Chap. 5 The Preservation of Good Order
3.7. Chap. 6 Formation of the Apostolate
3.7. Concluding
Exhortation
4. Declaration Gravissimum Educationis on Christian Education
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Universal Right to
Education
4.3. Christian Education
4,4
4.5
Catholic Universities
4.6 Conclusion
5. Decree Inter
Mirifica on the Instruments of Social
Communication
(Mass
Media)
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Chap. 1 Norms for Proper Use of Social
Communication Media
5.3. Chap. 2 The Social Communication Apostolate
5.4. Conclusion
1. INTRODUCTION
In
this fourth installment on the Second Vatican Council we will discuss the four
documents which pertain to the laity.
The two documents on The Apostolate of the Laity and on Instruments of
Social Communication are both Decrees which gives them
a higher canonical status than the two Declarations on Religious Freedom and on
the Instruments of Social Communication. All except the Apostolate of the Laity
are fairly short, and together the four of them constitute only 15 % of the
total Council’s proclamations. Nevertheless, they all have some interesting
things to say about the role of the laity in the Church.
2. DECLARATION DIGNITATIS HUMANAE ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
2.1. Introduction
This
declaration was by far the most controversial document of the entire
Council. It is also the only document
addressed to the entire world. During prior decades religious freedom in the
Church had been to a great extent suppressed as a result of the Syllabus of
(80) Errors issued by Pope Pius IX in
1864, the Decree Lamentabili Sane in which Pope Pius X condemned 65
errors of the Modernists on 1907, and the 1910 Oath Against Modernism that all
professors and other clergy in philosophical-theological seminaries were obliged
to sign in an effort to counteract the heresy of Modernism that had become
widespread among some academicians and theologians in the Church. The resulting atmosphere made it difficult
for Catholic scripture scholars to keep up to date with, and contribute to, the
important developments in biblical studies during the first half of the 20th
century.
2.2 Preface
“We believe that this one true religion subsists in the catholic
and apostolic Church, to which the Lord Jesus committed the duty of spreading
it abroad among all men” (#1).
“Religious
freedom, in turn, which men demand as necessary to fulfill their duty to
worship God, has to do with immunity from coercion in civil society. Therefore it leaves
untouched traditional catholic doctrine on the moral duty of men and societies
toward the one true Church of Christ” (#1).
2.3 Chap. 1 General Principle of Religious Freedom
“All
men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or social groups
and of any human power, in such ise that in matters
religious no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own
beliefs. . . . All men should be at once impelled by nature and also by a moral
obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth. . . . The right to religious freedom has its
origin, not in the subjective disposition of the person, but in his very nature
(#2).”
“The
highest norm of human life is the divine law - eternal, objective, and universal
- whereby God orders, directs, and governs the entire universe and all the ways
of the human community, by a plan conceived in wisdom and love. . . .
Hence every man has the duty, and therefore the right to seek the truth
in matters religious, in order that he may with prudence form for himself right
and true judgments of conscience, with the use of suitable
2.4. Chap. 2 Religious Freedom in the Light of
Revelation
“This
doctrine of religious freedom has its roots in divine revelation.” Revelation does disclose “the dignity of the
human being in its full dimensions. The act of faith is of its very nature a free act” (#9).
“As
the Master, so too the apostles recognized legitimate civil authority. ‘For
there exists no authority except from God,’
The Apostle teaches, and therefor commands,
‘Let every one be subject to the higher authorities . . . He who resists the authority resists the
ordinance of God’ (Rom. 13:102)” (#11). , , ,”The
freedom of the Church is the fundamental principle
in what concerns the relation
between the Church and governments and the whole civil
order. . . .
The Christian faithful, in common with all other men, possess the civil
right not to be hindered in leading their lives in accordance with their
conscience. Therefore religious freedom
. . . is to be recognized as the right of all men and communities, and
sanctioned by constitutional law. . . .
Religious freedom has already been declared to be a civil right in most
constitutions, and it is solemnly recognized in international documents. The further fact is that forms of government
exist under which, even though freedom of religious worship receives
constitutional recognition, the powers of government are engaged in the effort
to deter citizens from the profession of religion, and to make life difficult
and dangerous for religious communities” (#13,15).
“In
the formation of their conscience, the Christian faithful ought carefully to attend
to the sacred and certain doctrine of the Church. The Church is, by the will of Christ, the
teacher of the truth. It is her duty to
give utterance to,
and authoritatively to teach, the truth which is Christ Himself” (#14). The Declaration never actually uses the
phrase “freedom of conscience.” The
Declaration ends with the plea: “Consequently, in order that relationships of
peace and harmony be established and maintained within the whole of mankind, it
is necessary that religious freedom be everywhere provided with an effective
constitutional guarantee, and that respect be shown for the high duty and right
of man freely to lead his religious life in society” (#15).
3. DECREE
APOSTOLICAM ACTUOSITATEM
ON THE APOSTOLATE OF THE LAITY
3.1. Introduction
Prior
to the Second Vatican Council the main organization for lay participation in
the mission of the Church was Catholic Action, and this was defined as the
participation of the laity in the apostolate of the hierarchy. Now, with Vatican II, the laity are
considered as having their own apostolate.. Due to the shortage of priests the active
participation of the laity in the mission of the Church has become much more
necessary.
3.2. Chap.
1 The Layman’s Call to the Apostolate
The
chapter begins “For this the Church was founded: that by spreading the kingdom
of Christ everywhere for the glory of God the Father, she might bring all men
to share in Christ’s saving redemption, and that through them the whole world
might in actual fact be brought into
relationship with Him. All activity of
the Mystical Body directed to the attainment of this goal is called the
apostolate. . . . By its very nature the Christian vocation is
a vocation to the apostolate. . . . The
laity, too, share in the priestly, prophetic, and
royal role of Christ. Believers need to
enjoy the freedom of the Holy Spirit who ‘breathes where he wills’ (Jn. 3:8). At the same time they must act in communion with
their brothers in Christ, especially with their pastors’ (#2,3).
3.3. Chap.
2 The Goals to Be Achieved
There
are two aspects to the mission of the laity and the Church. The first is: “The very testimony
of their Christian life, and good works done in a Christian spirit, have
the power to draw men to belief, and to God. . . . A good apostle looks for opportunities to
announce Christ by words addressed either to non-believers with a view of
leading them to faith, or to believers with a view to instructing and
strengthening them, and motivating them toward a more fervent life” (#6).
Concerning the second aspect
of this mission: “The mission of the Church is not only to bring men the
message and grace of Christ, but also to penetrate and perfect the temporal
sphere with the spirit of the gospel (#5). . . . Many elements make up the temporal order,
namely, the good things of life and the prosperity of the family, culture,
economic affairs, the arts and professions, international relations, and other
matters of this kind. . . . It is the
task of the Church to labor vigorously so that men may become capable of
constructing the temporal order rightly, and directing it to God through
Christ. . . . The laity must take on the
renewal of the temporal order as their own special obligation. . . . The laity should hold in high esteem, and
according to their ability, aid the works of charity and projects of social
assistance, whether public or private, including international programs,
whereby effective help is given to needy individuals and peoples” (#7,8).
3.4
Chap. 3 The Various Fields of the
Apostolate
Concerning
women “it is very important that they participate more widely also in the
various fields of the Church’s apostolate.; (#9).
“The laity should accustom themselves to working in the parish in
close union with their priests” (#10).
“It
is the important task of their [i.e. the laity’s] apostolate, to manifest and
to prove by their way of life the unbreakable and sacred character of the
marriage bond, to affirm vigorously the right and duty of parents and guardians
to educate children in a Christian manner, and to defend the dignity and lawful
independence of the family” (#11). . . . "Activities of the family apostolate”
include “adoption of abandoned infants, hospitality to strangers, assistance in
the operation of schools, helpful advice and material assistance to
adolescents, help to engaged couples in preparing themselves better for
marriage, catechetical work, support for married couples and families involved
in material and moral crises, help for the aged” (#11).
“Adults
ought to engage in friendly discussion with young people [to] share the special
benefits each generation has to offer to the other” (#12).
A lay
person should try “to infuse a Christian spirit into the mentality, customs,
laws, and structures of the community in which a person lives. . . . Catholics
should feel themselves obliged to promote the common good.” . . .
They “should not refuse to administer public affairs, since by
performing this office in a worthy manner they can simultaneously advance the
common good and prepare the way for the gospel” (#14).
3.5. Chap.
4 The Various Methods of the Apostolate
“A
particular form of the individual apostolate
. . . is the testimony of a
layman’s entire life as it develops out of faith, hope, and charity. . . . In places where the freedom of the Church is
seriously restricted, the laity do what they can to
take the place of priests. . . . To
teach Christian doctrine to those around them, to train them in a religious way
of life and in a Catholic mentality, to lead them to receive the sacraments frequently, and to develop their piety, especially toward
the Eucharist” (#16, 17).
There
is a discussion of Catholic Action which was mentioned in the
Introduction. In this activity, laymen
participate in various apostolic activities in cooperation with, and under the
direction, of the hierarchy.
“There
is a great variety of associations in the apostolate.. Some set before themselves the broad
apostolic purpose of the Church; others aim to evangelize and sanctify it in a
special way. Some propose to infuse a
Christian spirit into the temporal order.
Others bear witness to Christ in a particular way through works of mercy
and charity.” Especially to be commended are
“those lay people . . . who devote themselves and their professional skill
either permanently or temporarily, to the service of associations and their
activities” (#19,22).
3.6. Chap.
5 The Preservation of Good Order
“In
the Church there are many apostolic undertakings which are established by the
free choice of laity, and regulated by their prudent judgment. . . . No project, however, can claim the name
‘Catholic’ unless it has obtained the consent of the lawful Church hierarchy. .
. . Yet the proper nature and individuality of each apostolate must be
preserved, and the laity must not be deprived of the possibility of acting on
their own accord. . . . Finally, the
hierarchy entrusts to the laity some functions which are more closely connected
to pastoral duties, such as the teaching of Christian doctrine, certain
liturgical actions, and the care of souls” (#24)..
“In
dioceses, as far as possible, there should be councils which assist the apostolic
work of the Church, either in the field of making the gospel known and men
holy, or in the charitable, social, or other spheres” (#26).
3.7. Chap.
6 Formation of the Apostolate
:The apostolate can attain maximum effectiveness only
through a diversified and thorough formation. . . . Well-informed about the modern world, the lay
person should be an active member of his own society, and adjusted to his
culture” (#28,29).
:In the family, parents have the task of training their
children from childhood to recognize God’s love for all men. . . . They should teach them little by little to
show concern for the material and spiritual needs of their neighbor. The whole of family life, then, would become
a sort of apprenticeship for the apostolate” (#30)”
“Schools, colleges, and other educational institutions also have
the duty to develop a Catholic sense and apostolic activity in young people”
(#30).
“Some
types of the apostolate demand very special formation: . . . a) the laity mst be specially formed to engage in conversation
with others, believers or non-believers, in order to manifest God’s message to
all men. b) The laity should not only
learn doctrine more carefully, especially those main points which are the
subject of controversy, but should also provide the witness of an evangelical
life in contrast to all forms of materialism. c) Laymen should be instructed in
the true meaning and value of temporal things, both in themselves and in
relation to the total fulfillment of the human person” (#31). “ There already exist many aids for lay persons devoted to
the apostolate, namely: study sessions, congresses, periods of recollection,
spiritual exercises, frequent meetings, conferences, books, and
periodicals. Centers
of documentation and study, not only in theology, but also in anthropology,
psychology, sociology, and methodology should be established in all fields of
the apostolate” (#32).
3.7. Concluding Exhortation
“Through
this holy Synod, the Lord Himself renews His invitation to all the laity to
come closer to Him every day, and, recognizing that what is His is also their
own (Phil. 2:5), to associate themselves with Him in His saving mission” (#33).
4. DECLARATION GRAVISSIMUM EDUCATIONIS
ON CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
4.1. Introduction
“The
education of the young, and even a continued measure
of education for adults have grown both easier and more urgent in the
circumstances of our times.” This
Declaration repeats and elaborates on what has been the
traditional beliefs of Catholics for a long time.
4.2. Universal Right to Education
“Since
every man of whatever race, condition, or age is endowed with the dignity of a
person, he has an inalienable right to an education corresponding to his proper
destiny and suited to his native talents, his sex, his cultural background, and
his ancestral heritage” (#1).
4.3. Christian Education
“Parents
must be acknowledged as the first and foremost educators of their
children . . . It devolves on parents to create a family
atmosphere so animated with love and reverence for God and men that a
well-rounded personal and social development can be fostered among the
children. . . . While inherently
belonging to the children, the task of education requires the help of society
as a whole, by implementing the principle of subsidiarity”
whereby matters
ought to be handled by the smallest or lowest competent authority . . . . “The office of educating belongs by a unique
title to the Church. . . . While it
cultivates the intellect with unremitting attention, the school ripens the
capacity for right judgment, provides an introduction to the cultural heritage
won by past generations, provides a sense of values, and readies for professional
life. . . . Beautiful therefore, and
truly solemn is the vocation of . . .
school teacher. . . . Parents should enjoy full freedom in the choice of schools” (#5).
To
those large numbers of
young men and women “who are being trained in schools which are
not Catholic” the Church “needs to be present through the services of priests
and laymen who transmit to them the doctrine of salvation . . . and who afford
them spiritual assistance.
4,4 Catholic Schools
“The
Church’s involvement in education is demonstrated especially by the Catholic
School” which should “pursue cultural goals and the natural development of
youth. . . . It strives to relate all human culture eventually to the news of
salvation, so that the light of faith will illumine the knowledge . . . of the world, of life, and of mankind.” The Declaration insists on “the Church’s
right freely to establish and to run schools of every kind and at every level. . . . Even after they have graduated, their
teachers should continue to assist them with advice and friendship. Catholic parents” are reminded of “their duty to entrust their children to
Catholic schools” (#8).
4.5 Catholic Universities
“Although
primary and intermediate schools must still be fostered as the foundations of
education, considerable importance is to be attached to . . . so-called professional and technical schools,
institutes for educating adults and promoting social services, as well as for
persons requiring special care as a result of some natural deficiency, and also
schools for preparing teachers to give religious instruction and other types of
education. The Church is preoccupied too
with . . . colleges and universities and
their faculties, . . . She seeks to
have individual branches of knowledge studied according to their own principles
and methods, and with due freedom of scientific investigation . . . to have it seen more profoundly how faith
and reason give harmonious witness to the unity of all truth. The Church pursues such a
goal after the manner of her most illustrious teachers, especially St. Thomas
Aquinas” (#10).
“Bishops
should . . . see to it that at colleges
and universities which are not Catholic there are Catholic residences and
centers where priests, religious, and laymen who have been judiciously chosen
and trained can serve as on-campus sources of
spiritual and intellectual assistance to young college people . . . . Young people . . . suited for teaching and research should be
trained with particular care and urged to undertake a teaching career.” Faculties of sacred science should explore
“the various areas of the sacred disciplines so that . . . a deeper
understanding of sacred disciplines will be developed, the reassure of
Christian wisdom handed down by our ancestors will be more plainly brought to
view, dialog will be sought with our separated brethren and with
non-Christians, and solutions will be found for problems raised by the
development of doctrine” (#11).
4.6. Conclusion
This same Synod acknowledges its profound gratitude toward those
priests, religious men and women, and lay people who in their evangelical
self-dedication devote themselves to the surpassing work of education” (#12).
5. DECREE INTER
MIRIFICA
ON THE INSTRUMENTS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
5.1. Introduction
This
Decree concerns “avenues of communication for all kinds of information, ideas,
and directives: the press, the cinema, radio, television, and similar media. .
. . Mother Church . . . recognizes that
if these instruments are rightly used they bring solid nourishment to the human
race.” However “men can employ these
gifts against the mind of the divine Benefactor, and abuse them to their own
undoing. . . . This most holy Synod
follows the path of vigilance, and regards it as a duty to deal with the main
problems presented by the instruments of social communication” (#1,2),
5.2. Chap.
1 Norms for Proper Use of Social Communication Media
“There
exists in human society the right to information about affairs which affect men
individually and collectively. . . .
The proper exercise of this right demands that the matter communicated
always be true, and as complete as charity and justice
allow. In the
gathering and publication of news the norms of morality and the legitimate
rights and dignity of a man must be held sacred” (5). .
“Total
public opinion exerts massive force and authority over the private and public
life of every class of citizen. . . .
Special duties bind these readers, viewers, or listeners to receive what
there media have to communicate. For good choosing dictates that ample favor be shown to whatever fosters virtue, knowledge, or art. People should reject whatever could become a
cause or an occasion of spiritual harm to themselves. . . . Parents should . . . guard against shows, publications, and the
like which would jeopardize faith or morals.”
. . Newsmen,
writers, producers, etc., have “the task of regulating the commercial,
political, and artistic aspects of these media in ways which will never
conflict with the common good.” . .
. Young people especially need “shows
that can give them decent amusement and inspiration. . . . Public authority has the duty of seeing to it
. . . that serious danger to public
morals and social progress do not result from a perverted use of these
instruments” of communication” (#8-11).
5.3. Chap.
2 The Social Communication Apostolate
Let
all the sons of the Church strive . . . most energetically to use the
instruments of
social communication effectively
in the many fields of the apostolate..” . . .
They should encourage “worthy journalism . . . films which serve honest
relaxation as well as culture and
art, . . .
decent radio and television productions,” as well as “noble and ancient
art of the theater. . . . Bishops in their own dioceses have the duty to
oversee activities and enterprises of this kind” (#13,14,20).
5.4. Conclusion
“This sacred Synod . . .
trusts that all the sons of the Church will cordially welcome and
religiously observe this program of precepts and guidelines” (#24).
Acknowledgment
I wish to thank Doris Christley
for many helpful comments on this chapter.