In the 40 years since the opening of Vatican II, a conference attended by Roman Catholic leaders, some of the writings produced by the participants have been wrongly interpreted, said Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. on Wednesday night. During his speech in ICC Auditorium, Dulles gave his own opinions about the myths and realities of the Vatican II documents.
“The documents, like most committee statements, suffer from inner tensions and can be interpreted in different ways,” Dulles said.
He then discussed the four factors which contribute to these conflicts, such as the varying interpretations of more secular or liberal Catholics.
In his discussion of the 12 “wrongly interpreted” subjects, Dulles covered a range of topics from traditions of the church to religious freedom.
One topic Dulles covered was the question of necessary involement in the Church, which he said plays an integral role in spiritual life.
According to Dulles, some interpret Vatican II to mean that church involvement is not essential to Catholicism.
“In reply we must observe that the Council recalled and reaffirmed the teaching of Our Lord himself that faith and baptism are necessary for salvation,” he said.
Dulles also discussed the topic of celibacy and marriage. After quoting a passage from Vatican II, he commented on the importance of celibacy.
“If this passage had been better understood and more warmly accepted, the present crisis of vocations to the priestly and religious life might be less severe,” Dulles said.
Dulles is the son of former Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who served in the Eisenhower administration.
A graduate of Harvard University, Dulles is the first American Jesuit to receive the title of Cardinal.
Although Dulles has never taught at Georgetown, he has been involved with the University for several years. He attended a conference celebrating the 175th anniversary of Georgetown in 1964, along with many of the Vatican II’s important leaders.
As a scholar and theologian, Dulles has written extensively on Vatican II.
