MOM 2006 journal for pdf.pmd - University of Michigan-Flint

In 1963, Pope John XXIII died and Paul VI was elected the next pope. Paul had been a leading
progressive in the first session of the council. After his election, he reconvened the council and
guided it to its conclusion. The council met four times from 1962 to 1965 and released sixteen
documents: four constitutions, nine decrees and three declarations. These documents instituted
many fundamental changes in the Roman Catholic Church. Some of the most notable include:
saying Mass in the vernacular, participation by the laity in the Mass, a renewed focus on the
Sacrament of Holy Communion, and renewed measures to promote and cultivate interfaith
relationships.
Moreover, the Second Vatican Council significantly altered how symbolism, architecture, and
the imagery of saints could be utilized within the Roman Catholic Church. Changes were made
that include: moving the altar away from the wall so that Mass may be offered with the priest
facing the people, making the seats of the ministers and the lectern clearly visible to the
congregation, and doing away with lavish displays of imagery in favor of materials displaying
simple dignity.
The document that had the most effect on the imagery of saints, along with furnishings and
architecture, was the Sacrosanctum Concilium, or The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. The
seventh chapter of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy focuses on Sacred Art and Furnishings
and maintains that the Church “has a long tradition of appreciating and incorporating fine arts
into worship spaces because by their very nature such works give praise to God” (Huebsch 2:
117). However, the Church also maintains that while “placing sacred images may be continued,
… their number should be moderate and their relative placement in right order,” (Huebsch 2:
118) “for otherwise they may create confusion among the Christian people and foster devotion of
doubtful orthodoxy” (Documents).
Revisions are also called for in the matters of “ecclesiastical statues which govern the
provision of material things involved in sacred worship” and church architecture. In particular,
“laws which seem less suited for the reformed liturgy are to be brought into harmony with it, or
else abolished; and any which are helpful are to be retained if already in use, or introduced where
they are lacking” (Documents). In terms of material culture, these revisions simply mean that the
architecture of new churches may be more contemporary and it is important that statues and
images not take away from the rites of the Liturgy.
This cultural change within the Church caused considerable controversy and turmoil. The
change was especially hard for those who grew up before 1960. They had been taught that the
practices of the Catholic Church were universal and irrevocable, that Protestants were the enemy,
and that partaking in communion was a bi-yearly, not a weekly, event. Nevertheless, the Church
was changing; the laity were required to participate in Mass, interfaith relationships were
encouraged, and the Sacrament of Holy Communion became the focus of Mass. Moreover, up
until the Second Vatican Council, the religious life of the laity centered on events and devotions
outside of Mass: including the devotion to the saints, the Rosary, the litany of the Sacred Heart,
prayer vigils, and a variety of other religious ceremonies. After Vatican II, many of these events
were discouraged in favor of a renewed focus on the Mass itself.
Meeting of Minds 2006 34