Providence, R.I.--Even after more than 40 years, Roman Catholics continue to interpret the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, the bishop of the Diocese of Providence told a Providence College audience on February 11.

The Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, D.D. spoke on "The Forgotten Teachings of the Second Vatican Council" as part of a series of College lectures on the Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II. The series is sponsored by the Department of Theology.

Introduced by College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. '80, Bishop Tobin told an overflow audience in Aquinas Hall that almost everything he has done as a priest and bishop has been impacted by Vatican II.

He recalled that he entered the seminary in the fall of 1962, just as the council in Rome began. When he studied there in 1969, the theology being taught was informed by the teachings of Vatican II. And, as he entered the priesthood, his ministry was informed by the decrees of the council as new approaches emerged in the liturgy, in religious education, and in parish life. 

In highlighting the continuing Catholic dialogue of the council, Bishop Tobin alluded to the two prevailing interpretations placed on its teachings. One interpretation emphasizes a break from the past and tends to be a more dynamic and subjective read of Vatican II teachings, with a tendency to focus on the "process" or the "spirit" of the council, he said.

Conversely, the other interpretation views it as a continuation--or an unfolding--of what is already present within the Church. The bishop said this second view looks at the conciliar teachings more objectively with an emphasis on the "product"--or the documents--rather than the "process" or the "spirit."

Admitting his bias toward the latter view, he asserted that Catholics' interpretation of the teachings must be rooted in the 16 documents that resulted from Vatican II.

"Forgotten" teachings heightened
A member of the College's Corporation and Board of Trustees, Bishop Tobin also looked at some of the teachings of Vatican II that were forgotten or less emphasized. He said that while Catholics are aware of the more prominent pronouncements--the reform of the liturgy, the renewal of the priesthood, the call to ecumenical dialogue, the vocation of the laity, and the importance of human conscience and religious freedom--the lesser-known teachings are also important.

The first forgotten teaching he emphasized was the hierarchical nature of the Church. The bishop noted that the common perception of Vatican II was the emphasis on the "people of God," but the council also re-emphasized the hierarchy. The council also stressed the importance of the Magisterium, or the Church's teaching, which flows out of the hierarchical nature of the Church, he said.

The primacy of the Catholic Church was also an important Vatican II pronouncement, noted Bishop Tobin. He said Catholics tend to emphasize the interfaith dialogue decrees of the council, but the documents are also very clear about the primacy of the Church. This teaching was restated in the 1995 papal letter Dominus Jesus, he said.

Other forgotten teachings he spoke about were the special nature of the ministry of the priesthood, the pro-creative purpose of marriage, the regulation of the sacred liturgy, and the devotional life of the Church.

Bishop Tobin concluded his presentation with a reflection on the Second Vatican Council by Pope John Paul, whom he said viewed the council as a "great grace" and a "sure compass" for the Church.

- Joan Lamar

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