Q: Why did Pope John XXIII convoke Vatican Council II? By Arch-Legend DE Marie Q: Why did Pope John XXIII convoke Vatican Council II? A: His intention in convoking Vatican Council II as the twenty-first worldwide council(a council of the bishops of the entire Church) was to renew the life of the Church, to reform structuresand institutions that needed updating, and to discover ways and means of promotingunity among all Christians. Pope John used the Italian word aggiornamento in stating his purpose for Vatican Council II. Its general meaning is "to bring up to date," "to renew,""to revitalize." The word is descriptive of the processes of spiritual renewal and institutional reform and change in the Church judged necessary by Vatican CouncilII. In his opening speech to the Ecumenical Council of Vatican II, Pope John said that the first need in calling the council was "toassert once again the Magisterium, which is unfailing andperdures untilthe end of time." The"magisterium" means the teaching authority of the Church.How unfortunate that, after this council, the magisterium, the teaching authority of the Church,was so often ignored even by some who said they spoke"in thespirit of Vatican II" or the "spirit of Pope John." In calling the council, Pope John noted that he looked to the past, to listen to its voice. He declared that it wasthe principalduty of the council to defend andto advance the truth. The councilwas to be loyal to the sacred patrimony of truth, asreceived from the fathers, but to see ever new avenues by which to take thesame, true faith of Christ to the world. He insisted that the Catholic Church would continue to oppose errors, but that its opposition must be treated with the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity. He sought ever greaterunity in sanctity, and great joy inthe eventual union of all the Christian churches of the world. Thus the reform and change thatPope John sought in calling the council was in no way to change the faith and morals of the Catholic Church.His idea was to develop no new doctrine but a new way to make the constant unchangeable faith in Christ — as given the apostles in the sacred deposit of faith — ever more effective in the lives of people and for the evangelization of theentire world.

Q: Why did Pope John XXIII convoke Vatican Council II? By Arch-Legend DE Marie Q: Why did Pope John XXIII convoke Vatican Council II? A: His intention in convoking Vatican Council II as the twenty-first worldwide council(a council of the bishops of the entire Church) was to renew the life of the Church, to reform structuresand institutions that needed updating, and to discover ways and means of promotingunity among all Christians. Pope John used the Italian word aggiornamento in stating his purpose for Vatican Council II. Its general meaning is "to bring up to date," "to renew,""to revitalize." The word is descriptive of the processes of spiritual renewal and institutional reform and change in the Church judged necessary by Vatican CouncilII. In his opening speech to the Ecumenical Council of Vatican II, Pope John said that the first need in calling the council was "toassert once again the Magisterium, which is unfailing andperdures untilthe end of time." The"magisterium" means the teaching authority of the Church.How unfortunate that, after this council, the magisterium, the teaching authority of the Church,was so often ignored even by some who said they spoke"in thespirit of Vatican II" or the "spirit of Pope John." In calling the council, Pope John noted that he looked to the past, to listen to its voice. He declared that it wasthe principalduty of the council to defend andto advance the truth. The councilwas to be loyal to the sacred patrimony of truth, asreceived from the fathers, but to see ever new avenues by which to take thesame, true faith of Christ to the world. He insisted that the Catholic Church would continue to oppose errors, but that its opposition must be treated with the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity. He sought ever greaterunity in sanctity, and great joy inthe eventual union of all the Christian churches of the world. Thus the reform and change thatPope John sought in calling the council was in no way to change the faith and morals of the Catholic Church.His idea was to develop no new doctrine but a new way to make the constant unchangeable faith in Christ — as given the apostles in the sacred deposit of faith — ever more effective in the lives of people and for the evangelization of theentire world.

THE TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC DISPOSITION: "Jesus Christ calls us all into His school to learn, not to work miracles nor to astonishthe world by marvelous enterprises, but to be humbleof heart. "Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart." [Matt. 11, 29] He has not called everyone to be doctors, preachers or priests, nor has He bestowed on all the gift of restoring sight to the blind, healing the sick, raising the dead or casting out devils, but to all He has said: "Learn of Me to be humble of heart," and to all He has given the power to learn humility of Him. Innumerable things are worthy of imitation in the Incarnate Son of God, but He only asks us to imitate His humility. What then? Must we suppose that all the treasures of Divine Wisdom which were in Christ are to be reduced to the virtue of humility? "So it certainly is," answers St. Augustine. Humility contains all things because in this virtue is truth; therefore God must also dwell therein, since He isthe truth. The Savior might have said:"Learn of Me to be chaste, humble, prudent, just, wise, abstemious, etc." But He only says: "Learn of Me, because Iam meek and humble of heart"; and in humility alone He includes all things, because, as St. Thomas so truly says, "Acquired humilityis in a certain sense the greatest good." [Lib. de sancta virginit. c. xxxv] Therefore whoever possesses this virtue may be said, as to his proximate disposition, to possess all virtues, and he who lacks it, lacks all." --Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo