Stephen D'Agata

Happy Birthday Vatican II. Sixty years old and you don’t look a day over 500. For those of you who are a bit confused, ‘II’ is the roman numeral for ‘2’, and this milestone doesn’t mean that a new improved version of the Vatican was birthed 60-years ago. It’s merely the 60^th anniversary of the conclusion of the 2^nd Vatican Council.

If you’ve read my novel, Pope Dreams – Pope Peter the Improbable, in the chapter where Peter is talking in the pub with his mates, he gives them a bit of a rundown on what the 2^nd Vatican Council was all about and why there have only been two Vatican Councils since the inception of the Roman Catholic Church. If you haven’t yet read my novel, firstly, shame on you, and secondly, buy one online or hit me up for a copy via my socials.

Now, to the Church’s credit, Vatican II was no small matter. It is because of Vatican II that we can see the priest’s face during Mass and can understand what he is saying. Prior to Vatican II the priest stood with his back to the congregation, and the liturgy was spoken exclusively in Latin. Because Latin had been the language of the Church since the 4^th Century CE and was the only language that Jesus and God can understand. Mel Gibson would have you believe that Jesus spoke Aramaic, but what does Mel know. There are also some heretics out there who claim that the early gospels were written in Greek. Blasphemy! (He says with tongue well and truly in cheek.)

So, Vatican II was a real transformation. It turned the liturgical hierarchy on its head. Services would now be said in the common language of each congregation, and instead of the priest being the conduit for the word of God, the congregation was recognised as the body of Christ. The people were now at the heart of the Church, and it was through the faith of the people that priests could do that magical transubstantiation stuff. Vatican II therefore recognised that members of congregations had a voice in how the church was run and could get more involved with the preparation of liturgies and the like.

As you would know from my previous blogs, growing up as a young Catholic in the 1960s and 70s, I came to know Church as more than just a special building and a place to go on Sundays. Church was a collective consciousness that we are all part of the divine entity we call God, and this collective faith was greater than the sum of its parts. You will also know from my novel and my previous blogs, that there were some within the Church hierarchy who were not so enthused about congregations having more liberty. Because, once people were allowed to think for themselves, instead of being told what to believe, many moved away from the Church. This was a terrible thing because the hierarchy needed bums on seats to justify its influence on the world. So, their solution to this was take away some of the liberties handed to the congregations and reinforce that the clergy alone was in charge.

So, 60-years on from the transformative Vatican II, we appear to have taken 3-steps forward, and 2-steps back. Those of us who saw Vatican II as a stepping stone to even broader reforms in line with all people, not just those in religious congregations, being the body of Christ, have been pushed aside.  Reforms such as acceptance of LGBTQ+ people as able to be considered as Christians; clerical positions being open to all genders; accepting that reproductive rights belong with the individual; and that divorce happens and people of faith who happen to get divorced, shouldn’t be shunned or refused sacraments, are all taboo topics.

 I’m about to conclude my rant soon, but not before explaining what led me to write this post today. I have recently been attending an online webinar series on Vatican II led by knowledgeable people who are currently leaders in field of theological study. But, to my dismay, last night’s session led to discussion on how to engage young people with the Church. The solutions put forward were, if only we prayed with them a bit more, and exposed them to liturgical experiences other than the Mass. The possibility of further reform was just not on the table. Kids aren’t stupid, they can spot injustice a mile away. So where they may find diverse liturgies entertaining, and prayer and meditation soothing, ultimately they will still ask questions like: Why can’t Aunty Mary, who is divorced from her abusive husband but still goes to Mass every week, not get married to her new partner in the Church, and why did the priest refuse to give Uncle Joe communion because he was wearing a rainbow scarf? It is these basic injustices that still exist within the modern Catholic Church, that young people see right through. How can a Church that is meant to be built on faith and love, be so cruel and insensitive?

So, there you have it, Vatican II was indeed a major milestone in the modernisation of the Catholic Church, but we need to go a lot further if we want to keep the faith alive.