Light of Nations (Lumen Gentium in Continuity with prior Councils)

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As published in the third edition of Serra Connects, available digitally here and physically here, I have placed my piece on Lumen Gentium below: Christ The Light of Nations The Holy Father is asking that we study the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church during this Year of Faith. In the last issue of Serra Connects in the article “The Faith the Moves Mountains”, I outlined the purpose of the Year of Faith. Pope Benedict is attempting to have Catholics rediscover the doctrine of the faith anew, which in large part has been misconstrued because of the confusion that follows the Second Vatican Council.  For this issue, I thought that Lumen Gentium, one of the four central documents of the Second Vatican Council, would be a great place to start working on the specifics. Lumen Gentium is perhaps the most unique document of the Second Vatican Council and also, I believe, the most general document resulting from a council the Church has ever written.  The document states in its nota previa something which many do not know: “Taking conciliar custom into consideration and also the pastoral purpose of the present Council, the sacred Council defines as binding on the Church only those things in matters of faith and morals which it shall openly declare to be binding."1 Lumen Gentium is intended to contribute a review of the nature and mission of the Church in the world and thus can be particularly useful for Serrans to understand since we work closely with the hierarchy. The Holy Father has asked Catholics to study this document because he wishes to give us a correct interpretation of the Lumen Gentium...to be read in a hermeneutic of continuity. In other words, whatever Lumen Gentium says about the Church is true when read in the context of prior councils as stated in the first point of Lumen Gentium:  Since the Church is in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race, it desires now to unfold more fully to the faithful of the Church and to the whole world its own inner nature and universal mission. This it intends to do following faithfully the teaching of previous councils.2 Some of the failure in understanding Lumen Gentium has come about by an assumption that the doctrine of prior councils would be automatically passed on by teaching the doctrine of Lumen Gentium. However, one council does not and cannot contain the summation of what the Church teaches. In other words, one should not view the Council of Trent as Catholicism 2.0 and Vatican II as Catholicism 3.0. Lumen Gentium only intends, as stated above, to give an additional perspective in conformity with the last. Regarding the council the Holy Father stated this past November: The Council Fathers wished to present the faith in a meaningful way; and if they opened themselves trustingly to dialogue with the modern world it is because they were certain of their faith, of the solid rock on which they stood. In the years following, however, many embraced uncritically the dominant mentality [a hermeneutic of discontinuity], placing in doubt the very foundations of the deposit of faith, which they sadly no longer felt able to accept as truths.3 This quote shows that the bishops and even documents of the council were intended to expound upon and supplement prior teachings, not replace them as a “be-all, end-all” document. I will briefly summarize the chapters of Lumen Gentium and give examples of this taking place.  In chapters one and two we find the Council teaching that the Church, as taught in centuries past, is the arc of salvation, but that we are not to presume on the salvation or damnation of others based on their official membership in the Church of Christ because all things are possible with God who wishes to save all people.4 This is something which was seldom clarified in the past except in a few instances.5 However it states that if anyone at all is saved, it is though some grace given through Christ’s Church in the world, or as famously stated more restrictively: “outside the Church there is no salvation”. These statements do not logically contradict or replace the teachings of the Council of Trent on the matter of salvation. In other words, all those who are saved end up somehow on the arc before the flood...isn’t it better to be there to begin with? In chapters three and four we hear about the structure of the Church divided into clergy (3) and laity (4). Both the clergy and the laity and lead by the successor of Peter in union with his legitimate successors, described by the word collegiality. There was concern surrounding the description of collegiality at the council in case it might give the impression that the Church is lead by a voting college (the bishops throughout the world) and confirmed by the Pope, as the man with only veto power. However, Lumen Gentium reaffirmed the teaching from the Council of Trent that the Supreme Pontiff does not possess mere ‘veto’ power but teaches in its appendix:  In other words, the College is not always fully active [in actu pleno]; rather, it acts as a college in the strict sense only from time to time and only with the consent of its head. The phrase 'with the consent of its head' is used to avoid the idea of dependence on some kind of outsider; the term "consent" suggests rather communion between the head and the members...6 Even though supreme, even unilateral power if necessary in all matters rests with the Holy Father, the college of bishops has nevertheless always been an indispensable part of the teaching authority of the Church.  Chapter four reaffirms that both clergy and laity participate in the priesthood of Christ, laity in a common way, clergy in a ministerial way. Particularly for Serrans this teaching might already seem clear, however in my experience in the Church much confusion has resulted again by looking at the teaching of Vatican II on a topic as comprehensive rather than supplemental to prior teaching. Here the Church wished to affirm that both “priesthoods” are interrelated and participate in a special way in the story of salvation. It wished to correct any idea out there that may have presented the ministerial priesthood as the only way to be holy or the only way to seriously serve Christ in the world. Both ‘priesthoods’ serve the body of Christ and the world and on a subjective level--each individual person’s calling--neither is greater, higher or more important than the other. It is simply a matter of where the person is called subjectively to serve the Church. However, on an objective or ontological level, the ministerial priesthood remains the higher and greater calling as it more closely and concretely models the life of Christ as a sign in this world. The council of Trent states: "If anyone saith that the marriage state is to be preferred before the state of virginity, let him be anathema."7 and our late Pope John Paul II: "As a way of showing forth the Church's holiness, it is to be recognized that the consecrated life, which mirrors Christ's own way of life, has an objective superiority."8 For Serrans, this distinction between the subjective and objective values of either vocation is an important distinction. Priests are not to be held up as God-figures, they are to be respected as ‘bridges’ pointing towards Him.  Chapter five contains a rather simple concept with which I believe many of you already are familiar: since God wishes to save all people then all people are called to live in respectful relationship with him (holiness), not just those who are specifically consecrated to Him. This is the ‘Universal Call to Holiness’ in a nutshell. Chapter six is last but far from least important. It speaks of the role of Mary within the Church and mentions her as mediatrix of grace, a title which conveys that Christ, the source of all grace, came through and in that way, she also is the “Mother” of grace, mediating it to mankind. Like many other documents of the Second Vatican Council we find “It does not, however, have it in mind to give a complete doctrine on Mary...” but we find reaffirmed the view that Mary holds the place of, if you will, the most important human being to walk the earth other than Christ. She is a perfect model of motherhood and leads us towards Christ. As we know, following the Second Vatican Council, the devotions to Mary significantly declined on account of many proposing that Christ be our only focus. However, once again the Second Vatican Council in Lumen Gentium states: “Placed by the grace of God, as God's Mother, next to her Son, and exalted above all angels and men, Mary intervened in the mysteries of Christ and is justly honored by a special cult in the Church.”9 Unfortunately the word ‘cult’ carries a connotation in English which is not intended in the Latin text. The bottom line is that, next to God, Mary deserves the highest honor (hyperdulia), even above the saints (dulia). In conclusion, Lumen Gentium is a unique document which highlights aspects of Catholic teaching which may have been overlooked in the past, such as the possibility of salvation for non-Catholics, the nobility and dignity of the married life, the mutual relationship of the supreme pontiff with bishops, the fact that all peoples are called to holiness and last, that Mary should remain in a place of honor. As a supplement to prior councils rather than revision of them (as commonly believed) it seeks to put forward a vision of the Church for the world to see, addressing many of the controversies and misconceptions of the time which were arising. Jon C. Haines 1 Nota Explicativa Praevia (Preliminary Note of Explanation) of Lumen Gentium, 16 November 1964 2 Lumen Gentium, 1.  3 Benedict XVI, His Holiness. "HOLY MASS FOR THE OPENING OF THE YEAR OF FAITH." The Year of Faith: Homilies. Vatican, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en/benedetto-xvi/omelie.html>. 4 Lumen Gentium, 16 5 Pope Pius IX "There are, of course, those who are struggling with invincible ignorance about our most holy religion. Sincerely observing the natural law and its precepts inscribed by God on all hearts and ready to obey God, they live honest lives and are able to attain eternal life by the efficacious virtue of divine light and grace." Quanto Conficiamur Moerore (1863)  6 Lumen gentium, Appendix – From the Acts of the Council, “'NOTIFICATIONES' GIVEN BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL  OF THE COUNCIL AT THE 123rd GENERAL CONGREGATION, NOVEMBER 16, 1964” 7 Council of Trent, Canon X, Session XXIV 8 Vita Consecrata, John Paul II.  9 Lumen Gentium, 53

As published in the third edition of Serra Connects, available digitally here and physically here, I have placed my piece on Lumen Gentium below:

Christ The Light of Nations

The Holy Father is asking that we study the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church during this Year of Faith. In the last issue of Serra Connects in the article “The Faith the Moves Mountains”, I outlined the purpose of the Year of Faith. Pope Benedict is attempting to have Catholics rediscover the doctrine of the faith anew, which in large part has been misconstrued because of the confusion that follows the Second Vatican Council. 

For this issue, I thought that Lumen Gentium, one of the four central documents of the Second Vatican Council, would be a great place to start working on the specifics. Lumen Gentium is perhaps the most unique document of the Second Vatican Council and also, I believe, the most general document resulting from a council the Church has ever written.  The document states in its nota previa something which many do not know: “Taking conciliar custom into consideration and also the pastoral purpose of the present Council, the sacred Council defines as binding on the Church only those things in matters of faith and morals which it shall openly declare to be binding."1 Lumen Gentium is intended to contribute a review of the nature and mission of the Church in the world and thus can be particularly useful for Serrans to understand since we work closely with the hierarchy. The Holy Father has asked Catholics to study this document because he wishes to give us a correct interpretation of the Lumen Gentium...to be read in a hermeneutic of continuity. In other words, whatever Lumen Gentium says about the Church is true when read in the context of prior councils as stated in the first point of Lumen Gentium: 

Since the Church is in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race, it desires now to unfold more fully to the faithful of the Church and to the whole world its own inner nature and universal mission. This it intends to do following faithfully the teaching of previous councils.2

Some of the failure in understanding Lumen Gentium has come about by an assumption that the doctrine of prior councils would be automatically passed on by teaching the doctrine of Lumen Gentium. However, one council does not and cannot contain the summation of what the Church teaches. In other words, one should not view the Council of Trent as Catholicism 2.0 and Vatican II as Catholicism 3.0. Lumen Gentium only intends, as stated above, to give an additional perspective in conformity with the last. Regarding the council the Holy Father stated this past November:

The Council Fathers wished to present the faith in a meaningful way; and if they opened themselves trustingly to dialogue with the modern world it is because they were certain of their faith, of the solid rock on which they stood. In the years following, however, many embraced uncritically the dominant mentality [a hermeneutic of discontinuity], placing in doubt the very foundations of the deposit of faith, which they sadly no longer felt able to accept as truths.3

This quote shows that the bishops and even documents of the council were intended to expound upon and supplement prior teachings, not replace them as a “be-all, end-all” document. I will briefly summarize the chapters of Lumen Gentium and give examples of this taking place. 

In chapters one and two we find the Council teaching that the Church, as taught in centuries past, is the arc of salvation, but that we are not to presume on the salvation or damnation of others based on their official membership in the Church of Christ because all things are possible with God who wishes to save all people.4 This is something which was seldom clarified in the past except in a few instances.5

However it states that if anyone at all is saved, it is though some grace given through Christ’s Church in the world, or as famously stated more restrictively: “outside the Church there is no salvation”. These statements do not logically contradict or replace the teachings of the Council of Trent on the matter of salvation. In other words, all those who are saved end up somehow on the arc before the flood...isn’t it better to be there to begin with?

In chapters three and four we hear about the structure of the Church divided into clergy (3) and laity (4). Both the clergy and the laity and lead by the successor of Peter in union with his legitimate successors, described by the word collegiality. There was concern surrounding the description of collegiality at the council in case it might give the impression that the Church is lead by a voting college (the bishops throughout the world) and confirmed by the Pope, as the man with only veto power. However, Lumen Gentium reaffirmed the teaching from the Council of Trent that the Supreme Pontiff does not possess mere ‘veto’ power but teaches in its appendix: 

In other words, the College is not always fully active [in actu pleno]; rather, it acts as a college in the strict sense only from time to time and only with the consent of its head. The phrase 'with the consent of its head' is used to avoid the idea of dependence on some kind of outsider; the term "consent" suggests rather communion between the head and the members...6

Even though supreme, even unilateral power if necessary in all matters rests with the Holy Father, the college of bishops has nevertheless always been an indispensable part of the teaching authority of the Church. 

Chapter four reaffirms that both clergy and laity participate in the priesthood of Christ, laity in a common way, clergy in a ministerial way. Particularly for Serrans this teaching might already seem clear, however in my experience in the Church much confusion has resulted again by looking at the teaching of Vatican II on a topic as comprehensive rather than supplemental to prior teaching. Here the Church wished to affirm that both “priesthoods” are interrelated and participate in a special way in the story of salvation. It wished to correct any idea out there that may have presented the ministerial priesthood as the only way to be holy or the only way to seriously serve Christ in the world. Both ‘priesthoods’ serve the body of Christ and the world and on a subjective level--each individual person’s calling--neither is greater, higher or more important than the other. It is simply a matter of where the person is called subjectively to serve the Church. However, on an objective or ontological level, the ministerial priesthood remains the higher and greater calling as it more closely and concretely models the life of Christ as a sign in this world. The council of Trent states: "If anyone saith that the marriage state is to be preferred before the state of virginity, let him be anathema."7 and our late Pope John Paul II: "As a way of showing forth the Church's holiness, it is to be recognized that the consecrated life, which mirrors Christ's own way of life, has an objective superiority."8 For Serrans, this distinction between the subjective and objective values of either vocation is an important distinction. Priests are not to be held up as God-figures, they are to be respected as ‘bridges’ pointing towards Him. 

Chapter five contains a rather simple concept with which I believe many of you already are familiar: since God wishes to save all people then all people are called to live in respectful relationship with him (holiness), not just those who are specifically consecrated to Him. This is the ‘Universal Call to Holiness’ in a nutshell.

Chapter six is last but far from least important. It speaks of the role of Mary within the Church and mentions her as mediatrix of grace, a title which conveys that Christ, the source of all grace, came through and in that way, she also is the “Mother” of grace, mediating it to mankind. Like many other documents of the Second Vatican Council we find “It does not, however, have it in mind to give a complete doctrine on Mary...” but we find reaffirmed the view that Mary holds the place of, if you will, the most important human being to walk the earth other than Christ. She is a perfect model of motherhood and leads us towards Christ. As we know, following the Second Vatican Council, the devotions to Mary significantly declined on account of many proposing that Christ be our only focus. However, once again the Second Vatican Council in Lumen Gentium states: “Placed by the grace of God, as God's Mother, next to her Son, and exalted above all angels and men, Mary intervened in the mysteries of Christ and is justly honored by a special cult in the Church.”9 Unfortunately the word ‘cult’ carries a connotation in English which is not intended in the Latin text. The bottom line is that, next to God, Mary deserves the highest honor (hyperdulia), even above the saints (dulia).

In conclusion, Lumen Gentium is a unique document which highlights aspects of Catholic teaching which may have been overlooked in the past, such as the possibility of salvation for non-Catholics, the nobility and dignity of the married life, the mutual relationship of the supreme pontiff with bishops, the fact that all peoples are called to holiness and last, that Mary should remain in a place of honor. As a supplement to prior councils rather than revision of them (as commonly believed) it seeks to put forward a vision of the Church for the world to see, addressing many of the controversies and misconceptions of the time which were arising.

Jon C. Haines

¹ Nota Explicativa Praevia (Preliminary Note of Explanation) of Lumen Gentium, 16 November 1964

² Lumen Gentium, 1. 

³ Benedict XVI, His Holiness. "HOLY MASS FOR THE OPENING OF THE YEAR OF FAITH." The Year of Faith: Homilies. Vatican, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en/benedetto-xvi/omelie.html>.

⁴ Lumen Gentium, 16

⁵ Pope Pius IX "There are, of course, those who are struggling with invincible ignorance about our most holy religion. Sincerely observing the natural law and its precepts inscribed by God on all hearts and ready to obey God, they live honest lives and are able to attain eternal life by the efficacious virtue of divine light and grace." Quanto Conficiamur Moerore (1863) 

⁶ Lumen gentium, Appendix – From the Acts of the Council, “'NOTIFICATIONES' GIVEN BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL  OF THE COUNCIL AT THE 123rd GENERAL CONGREGATION, NOVEMBER 16, 1964”

⁷ Council of Trent, Canon X, Session XXIV

⁸ Vita Consecrata, John Paul II. 

⁹ Lumen Gentium, 53