George Weigel: Church Must Embrace John Paul II and Benedict XVI’s Interpretation of Vatican II, or

[Michie]

...Face Irrelevance

“The Council was far more about ‘Christifying’ the world than about changing the Church”

George Weigel was a high school student in Baltimore when the Second Vatican closed and the faith life of Catholics in the United States was turned upside down, and a passionate debate over the Council’s actual teachings on liturgical reform, Church discipline and lay participation in the Church quickly gained steam. Now, as the Church this month marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Council, and the upcoming 2023 Synod on Synodality revives an often bitter, polarized debate on the Council Fathers’ disputed legacy, the best-selling papal biographer offers his own assessment, To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II, published Oct. 4 by Basic Books.

During an Oct. 3 email exchange with Register senior editor Joan Frawley Desmond, Weigel answers questions about key themes and arguments he addressed in his book: Pope St. John XXIII’s reasons for convening the Council, the substance of its seminal teachings, why Popes St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI provided their own “keys” for interpretation, and the painful lessons of the tumultuous post-conciliar era that still apply today.

Continued below.
George Weigel: Church Must Embrace John Paul II and Benedict XVI’s Interpretation of Vatican II, or Face Irrelevance

 

[chevyontheriver]

...Face Irrelevance

“The Council was far more about ‘Christifying’ the world than about changing the Church”

George Weigel was a high school student in Baltimore when the Second Vatican closed and the faith life of Catholics in the United States was turned upside down, and a passionate debate over the Council’s actual teachings on liturgical reform, Church discipline and lay participation in the Church quickly gained steam. Now, as the Church this month marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Council, and the upcoming 2023 Synod on Synodality revives an often bitter, polarized debate on the Council Fathers’ disputed legacy, the best-selling papal biographer offers his own assessment, To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II, published Oct. 4 by Basic Books.

During an Oct. 3 email exchange with Register senior editor Joan Frawley Desmond, Weigel answers questions about key themes and arguments he addressed in his book: Pope St. John XXIII’s reasons for convening the Council, the substance of its seminal teachings, why Popes St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI provided their own “keys” for interpretation, and the painful lessons of the tumultuous post-conciliar era that still apply today.

Continued below.
George Weigel: Church Must Embrace John Paul II and Benedict XVI’s Interpretation of Vatican II, or Face Irrelevance

We miss the whole point of Vatican II by thinking it was about reforming the Church. It was supposed to be about preparing us to go out in the world and evangelize it. The opposite happened. Our evangelization slipped into neutral and then into reverse. And now we are trying to figure out how to change doctrine to look more like the world.

 

[chevyontheriver]

...Face Irrelevance

“The Council was far more about ‘Christifying’ the world than about changing the Church”

George Weigel was a high school student in Baltimore when the Second Vatican closed and the faith life of Catholics in the United States was turned upside down, and a passionate debate over the Council’s actual teachings on liturgical reform, Church discipline and lay participation in the Church quickly gained steam. Now, as the Church this month marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Council, and the upcoming 2023 Synod on Synodality revives an often bitter, polarized debate on the Council Fathers’ disputed legacy, the best-selling papal biographer offers his own assessment, To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II, published Oct. 4 by Basic Books.

During an Oct. 3 email exchange with Register senior editor Joan Frawley Desmond, Weigel answers questions about key themes and arguments he addressed in his book: Pope St. John XXIII’s reasons for convening the Council, the substance of its seminal teachings, why Popes St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI provided their own “keys” for interpretation, and the painful lessons of the tumultuous post-conciliar era that still apply today.

Continued below.
George Weigel: Church Must Embrace John Paul II and Benedict XVI’s Interpretation of Vatican II, or Face Irrelevance

I've heard George Weigel speak in person twice. Once at the St. Paul Cathedral, and the other time at the University of Nebraska Newman Center. I was hours away from getting to hear him again in St. Paul when Covid closed the universe. He gets John Paul II, and as a consequence he gets Vatican II. Church Militant doesn't like him, but I do.

 

[chevyontheriver]

...Face Irrelevance

“The Council was far more about ‘Christifying’ the world than about changing the Church”

George Weigel was a high school student in Baltimore when the Second Vatican closed and the faith life of Catholics in the United States was turned upside down, and a passionate debate over the Council’s actual teachings on liturgical reform, Church discipline and lay participation in the Church quickly gained steam. Now, as the Church this month marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Council, and the upcoming 2023 Synod on Synodality revives an often bitter, polarized debate on the Council Fathers’ disputed legacy, the best-selling papal biographer offers his own assessment, To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II, published Oct. 4 by Basic Books.

During an Oct. 3 email exchange with Register senior editor Joan Frawley Desmond, Weigel answers questions about key themes and arguments he addressed in his book: Pope St. John XXIII’s reasons for convening the Council, the substance of its seminal teachings, why Popes St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI provided their own “keys” for interpretation, and the painful lessons of the tumultuous post-conciliar era that still apply today.

Continued below.
George Weigel: Church Must Embrace John Paul II and Benedict XVI’s Interpretation of Vatican II, or Face Irrelevance

Others think Weigel is all wet about Vatican II.
The Legacy Of Vatican II Is Not What George Weigel Thinks It Is

I think the bad fruit in the Church since Vatican II is relevant. But was that Vatican II or something unleashed independent of the council? If one reads the actual words of Vatican II it doesn't seem like we got what they were talking about but a Modernist 'mess'.

 

[Erose]

The issue is with people not knowing or realizing that the Catholic Church was heading in this direction well before Vatican II and even if Vatican II didn’t happen, we would still be where we are at today if not worse in the West.

Catholics, especially in those locations where progressive views are predominate, had already bought into a secular view of the world. Vatican II had no affect on this, but it was used as a scapegoat for those on both sides to elicit illicit changes or to gripe about why those illicit changes were occurring.

Anyone who reads the documents of Vatican II, will not find a single heretic teaching, will not find a single encouragement to abuse the liturgy of the Mass. It is sad that so many have bought into this, and it seems it has gotten worse over the last five or so years, sadly.

George is 100% correct in his assessment based upon the interview that is posted. Haven’t read the book yet, but just might eventually.

We cannot forget though that after Vatican II, the Church has made huge grounds in some regions on this planet, especially in Africa and Asia. So this should be a clear sign to anyone willing to open their eyes, that the issues that the Church has in Europe and America, has more to do with the changing philosophies overall in this Continents, than with the Church.

We just need to fight to protect the Church from being swept away with this changing philosophies.

 

[jamiec]

...Face Irrelevance

“The Council was far more about ‘Christifying’ the world than about changing the Church”

George Weigel was a high school student in Baltimore when the Second Vatican closed and the faith life of Catholics in the United States was turned upside down, and a passionate debate over the Council’s actual teachings on liturgical reform, Church discipline and lay participation in the Church quickly gained steam. Now, as the Church this month marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Council, and the upcoming 2023 Synod on Synodality revives an often bitter, polarized debate on the Council Fathers’ disputed legacy, the best-selling papal biographer offers his own assessment, To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II, published Oct. 4 by Basic Books.

During an Oct. 3 email exchange with Register senior editor Joan Frawley Desmond, Weigel answers questions about key themes and arguments he addressed in his book: Pope St. John XXIII’s reasons for convening the Council, the substance of its seminal teachings, why Popes St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI provided their own “keys” for interpretation, and the painful lessons of the tumultuous post-conciliar era that still apply today.

Continued below.
George Weigel: Church Must Embrace John Paul II and Benedict XVI’s Interpretation of Vatican II, or Face Irrelevance

Except that it has led to endless change in the Church.