Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Pope: media helped spread misinterpretations of Vatican II

Pope: media helped spread misinterpretations of Vatican II

Last updated on: February 14, 2013 at 7:07 pm by CNA Daily News

Pope: media helped spread misinterpretations of Vatican II 2013-02-14T19:07:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vatican City, Feb 14, 2013 / 12:07 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI said that many of the misinterpretations of the Second Vatican Council were caused by the media promoting its own version.

“The world interpreted the council through the eyes of the media instead of seeing the true council of the fathers and their key vision of faith,” said Pope Benedict at Paul VI Hall Feb. 14.

“Fifty years later, the strength of the real council has been revealed, and it is our task for the Year of Faith to bring the real Second Vatican Council to life,” he told the priests gathered to meet him.

Pope Benedict spoke with the priests of the Rome diocese in an unscripted speech on the Second Vatican Council, which he first attended as a special advisor to Cardinal Frings of Cologne and later on as a theological expert.

“The immediate impression of the council that got thorough to the people, was that of the media, not that of the Fathers,” he explained.

“The council of journalists did not, naturally, take place within the world of faith but within the categories of the media of today, that is outside of the faith, with different hermeneutics … a hermeneutic of politics,” added Pope Benedict.

The pontiff, who will give up office on Feb. 28, is one of the few remaining witnesses of the council.

“The media saw the Council as a political struggle, a struggle for power between different currents within the Church,” he recalled.

“But it was obvious that the media would take the side of whatever faction best suited their world.”

In his view, there were those who sought a decentralization of the Church.

“There was this triple issue: the power of the Pope, then transferred to the power of the bishops and then the power of all … popular sovereignty and naturally they saw this as the part to be approved, to promulgate, to help,” said the Pope.

He also said that this was the case for the liturgy with no interest in it as an act of faith, but as a something to be made understandable, “similar to a community activity, something profane.”

“We know that this council of the media was accessible to all,” he said.

“So, dominant and more efficient, this council created many calamities, so many problems, so much misery. In reality, seminaries closed, convents closed, the liturgy was trivialized … and the true council has struggled to materialize, to be realized,” he stated.

In his analysis, Pope Benedict said that the virtual council was stronger than the real council, but the real strength of the council was present.

“It has slowly emerged and is becoming the real power which is also true reform, true renewal of the Church,” he said.

“It seems to me that 50 years after the Council, we see how this virtual council is breaking down, getting lost and the true council is emerging with all its spiritual strength,” he observed to his priests.

“And it is our task to work so that the true Council with the power of the Holy Spirit is realized and the Church is really renewed,” he emphasized.

Pope Benedict said it was a “special and providential gift” to be able to meet with Roman clergy before leaving the papacy in two weeks.

“It’ s always a great joy to see how the Church lives, and how in Rome, the Church is alive because there are pastors who in the spirit of the supreme Shepherd, guide the flock of Christ,” he said.

“It is a truly Catholic and universal clergy and it is part of the essence of the Church of Rome itself, to reflect the universality, the catholicity of all nations, of all races, of all cultures,” he declared.

Vatican

Previous Post

February 14, 2013

New Pope will be the one God wants, Spanish bishop says

Next Post

February 14, 2013 Bishops of Nicaragua announce 40 hours of prayer for Pope

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, who ignored the injured man before the Samaritan helped?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A priest and a Levite A farmer and a shepherd A Roman soldier and a scribe A fisherman and a tax collector