In the new issue Verba Theologica (2/2025) can you find these studies:
Among the significant world events of the 20th century, we can also include the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Although it was a major turning point in the Catholic Church, it nevertheless affected the whole world and, at the same time, allowed itself to be affected by the whole world, the reality of global society and the lives of people. These days, we are commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of this great event, which is why we have prepared an issue focused on this topic. We invited Czech and Slovak experts from various theological disciplines to contribute, in order to reflect on the post- conciliar atmosphere in Czechoslovakia at that time and the current mood from various perspectives.
The first study is by Karol Moravčík. He is not only an experienced author and pastoral practitioner, but also a witness to the post-conciliar atmosphere, which he entered as a young priest. In his text, he presents the return of the ecclesiological image of God's people to post-conciliar theological reflection. This replaces the image of the Church as the body of Christ, which was used more prominently by the First Vatican Council, reinforcing the vertical, hierarchical character of the Church. The image of the People of God, on the contrary, seeks to emphasize its horizontal character and give greater space to mutual communication and dialogue. In the second part, the author emphasizes Pope Francis's efforts to promote synodality in the Church. This is to become not only its method, but its essential characteristic. He also notes the formation of religious conditions in Slovakia, the free emergence of conciliar ideas after November 1989, and the Pope's visit to Slovakia in 2021, which fit into Francis' logic of visiting small and less significant countries on the periphery.
In order to reduce the dogmatic binding nature of the Second Vatican Council, some conservative circles claim that its character was "only" pastoral. In his study, Tomáš Petráček shows how unbalanced this perception is, because all dogmatic statements have pastoral implications. Dogmatics and pastoral care form a whole. Every text of the council is theology that is supposed to touch the lived reality of people. And every pastoral conclusion is based on theological reflection. In the second part, the author argues that despite the many updated theological and pastoral concepts promoted at the last council, the very structure of the Church has largely retained the mentality of the First Vatican Council. Therefore, if another council were to follow in the near future, greater emphasis would probably have to be placed on reforming the institutional form of the Church, which has already been largely indicated by the synodal process initiated by Pope Francis.
Martin Maďar is a theologian originally from Slovakia, but who has been living and working academically in the USA for more than 25 years. His perception of the Council is exceptional for us, as he observes post-conciliar events in both Europe and America very personally. In his study, he examines both the acceptance and rejection of the Council and its conclusions. In recent years, certain conservative circles have expressed a desire to return to pre-conciliar conditions. Even some popes have allowed distrust of the council's conclusions to grow and have themselves sided with the skeptics. Pope Francis, however, has breathed new energy into the need for church reform, which has begun to be implemented in practice through the synodal process. A dialogue has opened up internally among members of the faithful community, but also externally, especially between the Church and secular society, which should be an equally legitimate co-creator of our common world.
Lucie Kolářová presents an undoubtedly necessary topic, namely the hermeneutics of the Council and the ways of interpreting it in the post-conciliar period. The author devotes considerable space to the pastoral constitution Gaudium et spes, on the basis of which the Church must constantly engage in dialogue with modern cultures and pluralism of opinion. However, it should not demonize them. Quite the contrary. It must abandon its one-sided confrontational and dismissive attitude and perceive the world as legitimate and good. From its very beginnings, Christianity has always fulfilled a rehabilitative role towards everything that was disparaged and oppressed. Similarly, today it must stand on the side of the marginalized and endangered.
Anton Tyrol offers a study summarizing the development of conciliar documents devoted to researching biblical texts and pastoral work with the Bible. In the introduction, he describes the circumstances of the Protestant and Catholic worlds, which differ in their emphasis – the Reformation emphasizes the Bible, while in the Catholic environment, the Church focuses on the celebration and experience of the sacraments. Therefore, biblical research logically began earlier among Protestants, who at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries became a motivation for many Catholic biblical scholars. At first, this aroused distrust and caution on the part of the popes, but later biblical science developed here as well, according to the latest scientific methods and procedures. The author devotes a large part of his text to the conciliar constitution Dei Verbum, presenting its gradual development at the council and its positive influence on post-conciliar study of the Holy Scriptures in the Catholic environment. In conclusion, he focuses on biblical science, biblical pastoral activities in Slovakia, but also reservations about the Holy Scriptures, which are not meant to be a reproach, but an inspiration for future generations
Even after sixty years, we find a large reservoir of conciliar initiatives, which were revealed not only by the last synod, but also by Pope Francis' visit to Slovakia in 2021. This thematic issue aims to identify what has remained unresolved or under-implemented from the Council. We hope that the texts offered here will support the spirit of conciliar renewal and evangelical courage.
Vladimír Juhás
