These not only may but ought to be changed with the passage of time if they have suffered from the intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of the liturgy or have become unsuited to it. | Irondale, AL 35210 |. Cf. 27. The Catechism of the Catholic Church references many documents form Vatican II, like Dei Verbum. God who "wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. There are four major documents in Vatican II, called ‘Constitutions’. Lumen Gentium, Dogmatic Constitution On the Church. 21. Rightly, then, the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. Finally, in the various seasons of the year and according to her traditional discipline, the Church completes the formation of the faithful by means of pious practices for soul and body, by instruction, prayer, and works of penance and of mercy. Gravissimum Educationis, Declaration On Christian Education. The Council closed on December 8th of the same year. II. Roman Ritual, title VIII, chap. Approved 2,318 to 3 and promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 28 October 1965. Cf. 3. Vatican II documents for the faithful of the Church. 101. Transmissions of the sacred rites by radio and television shall be done with discretion and dignity, under the leadership and direction of a suitable person appointed for this office by the bishops. There was significant input from theologians (some formerly silenced). If certain adaptations are considered necessary on account of local conditions, they are to be made in accordance with the provisions of Art. In certain parts of the world, especially mission lands, there are peoples who have their own musical traditions, and these play a great part in their religious and social life. American Catholic.org ) The Second Vatican Council has already made us free (Commentary by Robert … 3. The rite for the consecration of virgins at present found in the Roman Pontifical is to be revised. Saint Paul's phrase, "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life"). Vatican Council II : the basic sixteen documents : constitutions, decrees, declarations : a completely revised translation in inclusive language / general editor, Austin Flannery. 1962: October 22 to November 13: Debate. It affirmed the right of parents to choose the type of education they want for their children, upheld the importance of Catholic schools and defended freedom of inquiry in Catholic colleges and universities. Protestant observers made an important contribution. 50. 33. For the work in which they labor will effect nothing and bring forth no fruit except by the power of the Lord who said: "Without me you can do nothing" (John 15: 5). Bishops should have a special concern for artists, so as to imbue them with the spirit of sacred art and of the sacred liturgy. Accordingly, the sacred Council, keeping to the norms and precepts of ecclesiastical tradition and discipline, and having regard to the purpose of sacred music, which is the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful, decrees as follows. Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium): The church is a mystery, or sacrament, the whole People of God, in whose service the hierarchy is placed. St. Augustine, Tractatus in Ioannem, VI, n. 7. Very rightly the fine arts are considered to rank among the noblest activities of man's genius, and this applies especially to religious art and to its highest achievement, which is sacred art. 103. Approved 2,290 to 35 and promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 28 October 1965. 19. The Function of the Blessed Virgin in the Plan of Salvation 55. The Council produced documents, texts, the words of Vatican II. 80. Hence, as soon as any one of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived. 2) Because the sermon is part of the liturgical service, the best place for it is to be indicated even in the rubrics, as far as the nature of the rite will allow; the ministry of preaching is to be fulfilled with exactitude and fidelity. “Apostolicam Actuositatem,” Nov. 18, 1965. 8. The practical norms which follow, however, should be taken as applying only to the Roman rite, except for those which, in the very nature of things, affect other rites as well. His purpose also was that they might accomplish the work of salvation which they had proclaimed, by means of sacrifice and sacraments, around which the entire liturgical life revolves. English  Latin, 9. 24. For this reason the sacred Council decrees as follows concerning their revision. Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. Dei Verbum, Divine Revelation Print Email Solemnly promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on November 18, 1965. Let provision be made that some sacramentals, at least in special circumstances and at the discretion of the ordinary, may be administered by qualified lay persons. 1. English  Latin, 10. 118. They should be instructed by God's word and be nourished at the table of the Lord's body; they should give thanks to God; by offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through Christ the Mediator (38), they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all. Taken together, the documents of Vatican II offer a sweeping agenda for updating Catholicism (aggiornamento) by means of a return to the sources of Christian faith and practice (ressourcement). For this reason the sacred Council, having in mind those Masses which are celebrated with the assistance of the faithful, especially on Sundays and feasts of obligation, has made the following decrees in order that the sacrifice of the Mass, even in the ritual forms of its celebration, may become pastorally efficacious to the fullest degree. It said that ecumenism should be everyone’s concern and that genuine ecumenism involves a continual personal and institutional renewal. Pope John XXIII leads the opening session of the Second Vatican Council in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 11, 1962. This is to apply in the first place to the readings and "the common prayer," but also, as local conditions may warrant, to those parts which pertain to the people, according to the norm laid down in Art. 35. 22, 2, set up a liturgical commission, to be assisted by experts in liturgical science, sacred music, art and pastoral practice. Ordinaries must be very careful to see that sacred furnishings and works of value are not disposed of or dispersed; for they are the ornaments of the house of God. 86. 96. Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites. Religious profession should preferably be made within the Mass. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established. And how are men to preach unless they be sent?" Approved 2,394 to 5 and promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 7 December 1965. Holy Mother Church has therefore always been the friend of the fine arts and has ever sought their noble help, with the special aim that all things set apart for use in divine worship should be truly worthy, becoming, and beautiful, signs and symbols of the supernatural world, and for this purpose she has trained artists. 2. Vatican II Decrees and Declarations On this page I’ve provided outlines and links to twelve of the documents of the Second Vatican Council. But outside choir it will be lawful to select any one of these three, according to the respective time of the day. Therefore sacred music is to be considered the more holy in proportion as it is more closely connected with the liturgical action, whether it adds delight to prayer, fosters unity of minds, or confers greater solemnity upon the sacred rites. Approved 2,151 to 5 and promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 21 November 1964. 111. universal Church of Christ. And therefore priests and all others who take part in the divine office are earnestly exhorted in the Lord to attune their minds to their voices when praying it. For it is from scripture that lessons are read and explained in the homily, and psalms are sung; the prayers, collects, and liturgical songs are scriptural in their inspiration and their force, and it is from the scriptures that actions and signs derive their meaning. Lastly, in faithful obedience to tradition, the sacred Council declares that holy Mother Church holds all lawfully acknowledged rites to be of equal right and dignity; that she wishes to preserve them in the future and to foster them in every way. During their philosophical and theological studies, clerics are to be taught about the history and development of sacred art, and about the sound principles governing the production of its works. c) The hour known as Matins, although it should retain the character of nocturnal praise when celebrated in choir, shall be adapted so that it may be recited at any hour of the day; it shall be made up of fewer psalms and longer readings. The Nature of the Sacred Liturgy and Its Importance in the Church's Life. And a new rite is to be drawn up for converts who have already been validly baptized; it should indicate that they are now admitted to communion with the Church. In her the Church holds up and admires the most excellent fruit of the redemption, and joyfully contemplates, as in a faultless image, that which she herself desires and hopes wholly to be. And wherever a more extended use of the mother tongue within the Mass appears desirable, the regulation laid down in Art. 77. It said the primary duty of priests is to proclaim the Gospel to all, approved and encouraged celibacy as a gift and recommended fair salaries. This they may do in person or through suitable priests who are gifted with a knowledge and love of art. Cf. 120. Nevertheless their number should be moderate and their relative positions should reflect right order. So far as possible the commission should be aided by some kind of Institute for Pastoral Liturgy, consisting of persons who are eminent in these matters, and including laymen as circumstances suggest. It is of the essence of the Church that she be both human and divine, visible and yet invisibly equipped, eager to act and yet intent on contemplation, present in this world and yet not at home in it; and she is all these things in such wise that in her the human is directed and subordinated to the divine, the visible likewise to the invisible, action to contemplation, and this present world to that city yet to come, which we seek (2). The vernacular version, however, must be one that is drawn up according to the provision of Art. When passing judgment on works of art, local ordinaries shall give a hearing to the diocesan commission on sacred art and, if needed, also to others who are especially expert, and to the commissions referred to in Art. The liturgy in its turn moves the faithful, filled with "the paschal sacraments," to be "one in holiness" (26); it prays that "they may hold fast in their lives to what they have grasped by their faith" (27); the renewal in the eucharist of the covenant between the Lord and man draws the faithful into the compelling love of Christ and sets them on fire. Translation of the Latin Original by the Holy See, The 16 Documents of the Second Vatican Council, EWTN | 5817 Old Leeds Rd. Decree on the Bishops’ Pastoral Office in the Church. 37. Donald Sanborn dismantles the Chief Errors of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) Album / Alamy Stock Photo The Modernist monstrosity known as the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican opened on October 11, 1962, and officially closed on December 8, 1965, almost exactly… The rite for the burial of infants is to be revised, and a special Mass for the occasion should be provided. Links to external sites. Vatican II Documents . Except during Eastertide, baptismal water may be blessed within the rite of baptism itself by an approved shorter formula. The liturgical books are to be revised as soon as possible; experts are to be employed on the task, and bishops are to be consulted, from various parts of the world. Communities obliged to choral office are bound to celebrate the office in choir every day in addition to the conventual Mass. In Masses which are celebrated with the people, a suitable place may be allotted to their mother tongue. Historical Context. 82. Accordingly this sacred Synod strongly urges pastors of souls that, when instructing the faithful, they insistently teach them to take their part in the entire Mass, especially on Sundays and feasts of obligation. Moreover the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. The number of the anointings is to be adapted to the occasion, and the prayers which belong to the rite of anointing are to be revised so as to correspond with the varying conditions of the sick who receive the sacrament. 63; for the divine office. When rituals are revised, as laid down in Art. 30. But in order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects, it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds should be attuned to their voices, and that they should cooperate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain (28) . Moreover, it will be necessary to take into account the modern conditions in which daily life has to be lived, especially by those who are called to labor in apostolic works. Apart from these instances, no special honors are to be paid in the liturgy to any private persons or classes of persons, whether in the ceremonies or by external display. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. But since the use of the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended. Christus Dominus, Decree Concerning the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church. B) Norms drawn from the hierarchic and communal nature of the Liturgy, 26. 2. By means of the homily the mysteries of the faith and the guiding principles of the Christian life are expounded from the sacred text, during the course of the liturgical year; the homily, therefore, is to be highly esteemed as part of the liturgy itself; in fact, at those Masses which are celebrated with the assistance of the people on Sundays and feasts of obligation, it should not be omitted except for a serious reason. That the day may be truly sanctified, and that the hours themselves may be recited with spiritual advantage, it is best that each of them be prayed at a time which most closely corresponds with its true canonical time. This investigation should be theological, historical, and pastoral. 32. Wherefore the sacred Council has decided to enact as follows: 15. 109. Nevertheless the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows. Also, as occasion may arise, let other selections from the treasury of hymns be incorporated. 94. Sometimes in fact she admits such things into the liturgy itself, so long as they harmonize with its true and authentic spirit. Members of any institute dedicated to acquiring perfection who, according to their constitutions, are to recite any parts of the divine office are thereby performing the public prayer of the Church. The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. 89, the psalms are no longer to be distributed throughout one week, but through some longer period of time. 40. Gaudium et Spes, Pastoral Constitution On the Church in the Modern World. It is desirable also to found higher institutes of sacred music whenever this can be done. From the liturgy, therefore, and especially from the eucharist, as from a font, grace is poured forth upon us; and the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God, to which all other activities of the Church are directed as toward their end, is achieved in the most efficacious possible way. Therefore the Church announces the good tidings of salvation to those who do not believe, so that all men may know the true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, and may be converted from their ways, doing penance (24). 8 :15), and thus become true adorers whom the Father seeks (17). Composers, filled with the Christian spirit, should feel that their vocation is to cultivate sacred music and increase its store of treasures. This twofold character is to be brought into greater prominence both in the liturgy and by liturgical catechesis. The Church has also included in the annual cycle days devoted to the memory of the martyrs and the other saints. St. Ignatius of Antioch, To the Ephesians, 7, 2. But the Church approves of all forms of true art having the needed qualities, and admits them into divine worship. 28. Optatam Totius, Decree On Priestly Training. For the liturgy, "through which the work of our redemption is accomplished," (1) most of all in the divine sacrifice of the eucharist, is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives, and manifest to others, the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church. 62. 3) Instruction which is more explicitly liturgical should also be given in a variety of ways; if necessary, short directives to be spoken by the priest or proper minister should be provided within the rites themselves. 22, 2, to decide whether, and to what extent, the vernacular language is to be used; their decrees are to be approved, that is, confirmed, by the Apostolic See. 106. In addition they must learn how to observe the liturgical laws, so that life in seminaries and houses of religious may be thoroughly influenced by the spirit of the liturgy. Thus to achieve the restoration, progress, and adaptation of the sacred liturgy, it is essential to promote that warm and living love for scripture to which the venerable tradition of both eastern and western rites gives testimony. The Promotion of Liturgical Instruction and Active Participation. Cf. A Summary and Guide to the Documents of the Second Vatican Council A collected series of articles written on the documents of Vatican II between February and October of 2010. 57. 6. 54; for the sacraments, Art. Diariorum, Actorum, Epistolarum, Tractatuum nova collectio ed. He is present in His word, since it is He Himself who speaks when the holy scriptures are read in the Church. Decree on the Appropriate Renewal of the Religious Life. Besides the commission on the sacred liturgy, every diocese, as far as possible, should have commissions for sacred music and sacred art. But other instruments also may be admitted for use in divine worship, with the knowledge and consent of the competent territorial authority, as laid down in Art. 22, 52, 37, and 40. The Second Ecumenical Sacred Council of the Vatican, recognizing the importance of the wishes expressed by many concerning the assignment of the feast of Easter to a fixed Sunday and concerning an unchanging calendar, having carefully considered the effects which could result from the introduction of a new calendar, declares as follows: But among the various systems which are being suggested to stabilize a perpetual calendar and to introduce it into civil life, the Church has no objection only in the case of those systems which retain and safeguard a seven-day week with Sunday, without the introduction of any days outside the week, so that the succession of weeks may be left intact, unless there is question of the most serious reasons. In celebrating this annual cycle of Christ's mysteries, holy Church honors with especial love the Blessed Mary, Mother of God, who is joined by an inseparable bond to the saving work of her Son. 16. 1. Religious singing by the people is to be intelligently fostered so that in devotions and sacred exercises, as also during liturgical services, the voices of the faithful may ring out according to the norms and requirements of the rubrics. The address given by the bishop at the beginning of each ordination or consecration may be in the mother tongue. Zeal for the promotion and restoration of the liturgy is rightly held to be a sign of the providential dispositions of God in our time, as a movement of the Holy Spirit in His Church. 13. The Sacred Council would not object if the feast of Easter were assigned to a particular Sunday of the Gregorian Calendar, provided that those whom it may concern, especially the brethren who are not in communion with the Apostolic See, give their assent. 22, 2, must, in this matter, carefully and prudently consider which elements from the traditions and culture of individual peoples might appropriately be admitted into divine worship. The two parts which, in a certain sense, go to make up the Mass, namely, the liturgy of the word and the eucharistic liturgy, are so closely connected with each other that they form but one single act of worship. Other celebrations, unless they be truly of greatest importance, shall not have precedence over the Sunday which is the foundation and kernel of the whole liturgical year. The Vatican II documents with the highest level of authority and importance are the four Apostolic Constitutions. 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