Vatican II’s Christocentric View: July 13, 2025

Last week’s article explored Pope Leo’s commitment to a Christocentric Church, a central theme of Vatican II. In declaring the Jubilee of 2025, Pope Francis offered a Plenary indulgence for anyone participating in a formal study of the documents of Vatican II. We were called to renew efforts to understand the true meaning of Vatican II rather than what has been termed the “Spirit of the Council.”

Beginning on Monday July 28, our Exploring your Faith Vatican II Study will read selections of 12 of the 16 documents of Vatican II. During this study, the Christocentric, evangelical, and tradition-centered focus of Vatican II will emerge from the haze of self-proclaimed teachers of the “Spirit” of the council. Read the following from the four Dogmatic Constitutions, considering what you may have heard the council stated:

• “Christ is the light of nations (so) this sacred synod desires to proclaim the Gospel to every creature, to bring the light of Christ to all men”(Lumen Gentium).
• “This sacred council wishes to impart a vigor to the Christian Life of the faithful to strengthen whatever can call all of mankind to the Church. Most of all in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist; the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the Church” (Sacrosanctum Concilium).
• “Following in the footsteps of the Council of Trent and Vatican I, this council wishes to set forth authentic doctrine on divine revelation so that the whole world may believe, by believing have hope and by hoping it may love.” (Dei Verbum).
• “This Second Vatican Council addresses itself without hesitation to the whole of humanity (and) yearns to explain to everyone how it conceives of the presence and activity of the Church in the world today.”(Gaudium et Spes).

note: the underlines were added for emphasis.