INTRODUCTION: HISTORICAL CONTEXT AT THE TIME OF THE COUNCIL
When we take a closer look at the Modern Times, the two centuries before the Second Vatican Council, we see how our ancestors were born, lived and died under the umbrella of what we call Progress. Here, we will review some relevant moments in History to see the big picture. Our ancestors in the Catholic Faith did the best they could in a time of drastic change. Now we can better appreciate how providential the Council was for the whole world. Our opportunity to do something is now! We have Lumen Gentium cum Sit Christus (Christ light of the nations) guiding our steps. We can work for a better future if we learn from History instead of from mere stories. My intention in giving this historical context is to appreciate that the Council was convoked at the right time in our History of Salvation.
But, before we begin, let me say that while the background information I present is historical fact; the interpretation and conclusions are my own and do not represent those of any organization or affiliation.
SOME HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS IN HISTORY
PART I: SOME HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS IN CIVIL SOCIETY
1. Hope changed to progress.
In the 18th century we began to take more and more control of Technology. It’s amazing to see how much progress we made. We have seen in our life time how quickly things change. We have more and more “things” that make our lives easier.
However, during the 19th and 20th centuries of unlimited progress, there were also enormous advances in the development of weapons. We developed massive weapons of destruction and we used them efficiently.
The phenomenal growth of social reform in government structures, moved quickly toward the formation of extreme political parties and other organizations during the 19th and 20th centuries. In the West we moved from one model to another; many of them based on pragmatic and materialistic foundations. Life is easier in our technological world, but the gap between the privileged wealthy and the poor grew and created new tensions. The constant friction and outbursts of fighting, history has shown us, led certain countries and peoples to develop and use destructive weapons against each other. Beginning in the 1930s the situation became more aggressive.
History is a good teacher. Consider the French Revolution (1787-1799). That great momentum which claimed to free people from their “Oppressive Monarchy” ended in the “Reign of Terror”, hatred of the Catholic Church, heavy loss of life and blood shed of so many young Frenchmen and their European neighbours. Tension then escalated throughout Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries; conquerors and the conquered were acting uninterruptedly on the war stage of History.
The mounting frustration and hatred exploded again and again until its climax came in the 20th century with two World Wars:
– 1914-18 The Great War with the terror of the trenches, the gas… that ended with humiliating peace treaties which could not be sustained.
– 1939-45 World War II in which 55 million people were killed in combat, innocent people and entire families were destroyed, community organizations and infrastructures were also destroyed. Worse, hatred remained in the hearts of many.
The world, divided after the carnage and horror of World War II, entered a new phase: the Cold War. There was a balance of fear with loss of hope in both the material and spiritual future and a loss of confidence in treaties and accords. The equilibrium was, and remains, grounded in fear, by its very natural irrational, and the accumulation of weaponry and munitions.
At the very beginning of the Second Vatican Council we saw the consequence of the Cold War very close to home in North America: The Cuban Revolution in 1959 led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The imminent clash of the Russian and American Navies in 1962 in the Atlantic Ocean gave us a real taste of fear.
2. The ideologies which transformed our world.
During the 19th and 20th centuries there were intellectual efforts to improve society and new social organizations were created. Materialistic ideologies, based on the needs and circumstances at the time, took over offering materialistic solutions. Empowering ideologies such as National Socialism in Germany, for example, satisfied the need for revenge and power. Communism, which began with the goal of liberating the proletariat from the oppression of the wealthy aristocracy and Capitalism, ended up oppressing their people with the dictatorship of the State over communities and entire countries. The Radical forms of Capitalism, fighting in the name of freedom and democracy, undermined the meaning of the human person and became radical defenders of just money and power. By contrast, many forms of Radical Socialism, saying yes to many demands, annihilated the rights of families and individuals. And so on.
Those materialistic ideologies with their concomitant abuse of material resources, controlled negotiations between countries: specifically, the knowledge of how to increase production and create wealth. They also took advantage of illiterate and uneducated people.
3. The establishment of new independent countries.
Another important factor, during the 19th century there was massive colonization, by force, in Asia and Africa. The exploitation of natural resources was a source of great wealth especially for European countries and the United Kingdom. In the 20th century, just before Vatican Council II, we saw the violent end of so many colonies in Asia and Africa.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, in the Americas: the USA won the war of independence in 1786. The Confederation of Canada was formed in 1867. In Latin American countries, independence was won from 1800 onwards; the last country, Cuba became independent in 1890. Just three colonies remained: the Guyanas.
In the 20th century, the most populated countries of the world became free to choose their future. China became independent in 1911; India in 1945; Taiwan in 1949; and after Second Vatican Council, Hong Kong in 1997 and Macao in 1999.
In the 20th century, the African countries began their fight for freedom after World War II. The succeeded struggle to live in peace continues within their own borders.
In Oceania; Australia became a Dominion in 1901; New Zealand became a Dominion in 1907. The Philippines won independence from Spain in 1898 and from the USA in 1945.
4. The Evolution of Communication
Nowadays we can communicate immediately with people far away. It began with the communications satellite. Traditional media, radio, television and print newspapers, are now becoming obsolete and print books are struggling to survive. Our kids are growing up in the midst of electronic communication devices with access to the best and worst of it at their fingertips. We adults are caught up in it too; at work, where we are constantly upgrading, knowing that we are not on the cutting edge, however hard we may try, and in our leisure time where we are in real danger of wasting time and falling into other bad habits.
This development has created tremendous changes in our lifestyle and social structures. We rely on electronic efficiency but one magnetic storm, be it in nature or one initiated deliberately, can disrupt the system very easily. If anything happened on a large scale we would be helpless: no phone, no internet, no bank system, no gas, the newer cars wouldn’t function…There would be chaos. There are also many countries and organizations trying to invade our private lives for many different reasons ranging from national security to terrorism, business and economic advantages, hackers for whatever their motives may be, identity theft, for example, and others who seem to do it just for fun.
Let’s put this in a historical context. The year 2014 marks the 100th. anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War. What kinds of communication did they have at their disposal? Or even at the time of the Council, fifty years ago; there were more efficient organizational possibilities but sophisticated communication tools were not available to them. The first communications satellite was launched August 12, 1960, for restricted purposes only. We cannot judge according to current parameters of communication. We need historical parameters.
Think back to carrier pigeons and messengers on foot…Think of the telegraph which served us for so many years; the old phone system; of how we made paper copies of documents before photocopying. Think of the transportation systems: the roads, the railway and the postal system. These are all fresh in the minds of our seniors.
Think back a little further in history right here in Edmonton. If you want a taste of this, there are several displays on MacDougall Ave behind the ATCO building which show our ancestors and communication as it was one hundred years ago. It is a great example of how much life has changed with the times.
The Council addresses the role of communications in society in one word: Wisdom. We will discuss the Council’s vision of communications later in our study.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
5. Philosophy: The way of wisdom
In 399 B.C. Socrates, the Greek philosopher, was executed after being declared guilty on two charges by the dikasts (Athenian citizens chosen by lot to serve as jurors). Accounts of the trial were given by two of Socrates’ contemporaries: Plato and Xenophon.
“The trial and execution of Socrates took place in 399 BC. Socrates was tried on two charges: corrupting the youth and impiety (asebeia in Greek.) More specifically, Socrates’ accusers cited two “impious” acts: “failing to acknowledge the gods that the city acknowledges” and “introducing new deities”. These two problems were the result of Socrates asking philosophical questions. A majority of the dikasts voted to convict him. Consistent with common practice, the dikasts determined Socrates’ punishment with another vote. Socrates was ultimately sentenced to death by drinking a hemlock-based liquid.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Socrates)
Western civilization is directly descended from the Greeks and Romans. Western Christian Civilization inherited philosophy as one of our great values. Just as it happened in the case of Socrates, society can accept or reject philosophers’ ways of thinking; but, we need them. They are the ones who ask questions about “why” rather than focus on “how”. Real philosophers are a kind of immune system in Western Society. History shows us we need them and we miss them when we no longer have them. We may not be aware that we need philosophers, but they are an essential part of our Western Civilization.
In the last few centuries some philosophers drew back from the deep meaning of philosophy and surrendered to the demands of a society in need of quick answers to complex questions and became detached from philosophical roots. At the time of the Council there were still some who maintained the real meaning of philosophy.
I think we are losing the most inner core of our Western Civilization. We opened the door and gave the power to gain votes to this or that side, or we left everything in a kind of limbo. The media also can take over and create opinion: for better or for worse. Society’s line of defence for permanent values was frequently reduced to people connected to religious groups who had their own perception of reality, and who reacted after the fact.
There have always been independent philosophers who have not compromised themselves with any group or ideology; they search uncompromisingly for the truth. There are also people in religious organizations, who have both intellectual capacity and courage to see things differently, and they give us deep insights.
In the appendix there is a brief resume of some philosophers from Descartes to the time when the Council began. There are also some references if you want to read further.
In the 20th century, Philosophy broke down as a discipline and was pushed into a corner in many Western universities and schools. The interest in the formation of students shifted to emphasize job training. It took on the form of good talk sessions in the social sciences, for example, which essentially discouraged confidence in reason as the way to address and answer the real questions about who we are; our origin and existence; questions about life and death, family and nationality, life after death… and have brought us to the point where we have no basis for knowing anything with certainty.
There were always those brilliant minds, who continued enquiry on the true path, but they were a minority and they were frequently silenced by the majority’s voices and social trends, such as the rapid growth of business, social sciences and technology.
Society began to miss the input of those who think deeply about reality and look for permanent answers. When we have no permanent values, there are, consequently, no ethics. Relativism and Nihilism are the result. A dead end. It becomes a threat to humanity itself. We are seeing this right now in society. It is the result of replacing “why” questions with “how” questions and answers.
By the time the Council began on 11 October 1962, we were looking for better questions and answers.
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