Approaching Vatican II

 I had a question on how to approach the Second Vatican Council. Here is my reply: 

The most simple and direct way to approach Vatican II is to read the actual documents the Council produced. None are very long. All of them are actually quite interesting. Be open to what they are actually  saying, and to the idea the God was in control and did not go into hiding during the Council. 

Secondly, (and I don't mean this to sound uncharitable) don't listen to the cranks. And I say that on both sides of the spectrum. There were and are those who took the actual documents and misused them as a blank check to justify chucking anything the. Church taught they didn't like, theologically and liturgically. That is not what the Council said. Read the actual documents for yourself. Vatican II was not a blanket invitation to burn the Church down, despite what people say.

Now, the same is true on the other side of the spectrum. There are those who did and still do think Vatican II was a heretical travesty. Somehow God went into hiding and the council ran amok, and the Church went into the toilet. This is also not true. 

Now, to be fair, there has been much ridiculousness that has been done in the name of Vatican II. Unfortunately, Vatican II happened at the height of the 1960s counter culture revolution, and what was intended fused in some places with the rebellious spirit of the age. 

This led to liturgical abuse and bad practice and watered down catechism in some places. I'm not making light of that. People in some Dioceses had to put up with a lot of garbage in some areas from people like clergy and bishops who should have known better. But this was because those people took the Vatican II documents and forced them to say and justify things they clearly did not say or intend.

Again, read the actual documents. Not any of the commentaries and hand wringing Chicken Little the sky is falling or 'Spirit of Vatican II" nonsense. Read the primary sources, particularly the 4 Constitutions. You can do so here:
https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/index.htm

That's it. That list is all the Second Vatican Council officially produced, despite what people say. Read and study them with the famous words from the Liturgy of St James as your guide:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

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