On the Pastoral Nature of Vatican II by Rev. Damien Dutertre (2022)
Answering the objection: Vatican II is not binding and can contain error because it is "merely pastoral."
1. Objection: “Vatican II was merely a pastoral council.”
By the term “pastoral council” is sometimes understood the idea that Vatican II (1) did not intend to define any new doctrine, and that, consequently (2) Vatican II is not infallible. It was intended to be an effort to present the Catholic doctrine in a way suited to modern man.
To this is answered, first, that Vatican II has published both “pastoral constitutions” and “dogmatic constitutions.” Lumen gentium, for example, is a dogmatic constitution, whose open aim was to further the presentation of ecclesiology begun at the 1870 Vatican Council, and to deepen the Church’s understanding of the role of the bishops in the Church. No one denies this fact. Hence it clearly taught dogmatic doctrine. The fact that John XXIII desired to give it a pastoral character does not contradict its dogmatic nature, as we shall explain when commenting on John XXIII’s words.
Answering the objection: Vatican II is not binding and can contain error because it is "merely pastoral."
1. Objection: “Vatican II was merely a pastoral council.”
By the term “pastoral council” is sometimes understood the idea that Vatican II (1) did not intend to define any new doctrine, and that, consequently (2) Vatican II is not infallible. It was intended to be an effort to present the Catholic doctrine in a way suited to modern man.
To this is answered, first, that Vatican II has published both “pastoral constitutions” and “dogmatic constitutions.” Lumen gentium, for example, is a dogmatic constitution, whose open aim was to further the presentation of ecclesiology begun at the 1870 Vatican Council, and to deepen the Church’s understanding of the role of the bishops in the Church. No one denies this fact. Hence it clearly taught dogmatic doctrine. The fact that John XXIII desired to give it a pastoral character does not contradict its dogmatic nature, as we shall explain when commenting on John XXIII’s words.
Answering the objection: Vatican II is not binding and can contain error because it is "merely pastoral."
1. Objection: “Vatican II was merely a pastoral council.”
By the term “pastoral council” is sometimes understood the idea that Vatican II (1) did not intend to define any new doctrine, and that, consequently (2) Vatican II is not infallible. It was intended to be an effort to present the Catholic doctrine in a way suited to modern man.
To this is answered, first, that Vatican II has published both “pastoral constitutions” and “dogmatic constitutions.” Lumen gentium, for example, is a dogmatic constitution, whose open aim was to further the presentation of ecclesiology begun at the 1870 Vatican Council, and to deepen the Church’s understanding of the role of the bishops in the Church. No one denies this fact. Hence it clearly taught dogmatic doctrine. The fact that John XXIII desired to give it a pastoral character does not contradict its dogmatic nature, as we shall explain when commenting on John XXIII’s words.