Several issues were important in the life of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century that continue to impact today’s Church. Two of them were the Second Vatican Council as a whole and the scandal of sexual abuse by priests. However, I consider that the most significant event in this period of time was the whole new approach to Christian unity and interreligious dialogue by the Church in Vatican II. This new approach impacted the practice of the Catholic faith, continues to influence the Church today, and will be crucial in the development of doctrine and the practice of the faith in the future.
The Second Vatican Council issued two decrees that transformed the way Catholics saw other Christians and people who practice other religions. …show more content…
First, Vatican II explored a different way to understand salvation. For instance, the doctrine of “There is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church,” was developed to the new understanding that the Church of Christ “subsists in the Catholic Church… although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure” (Lumen Gentium 8). Second, there was a new sense of Catholic identity. Indeed, Catholics were used to understand themselves based on the differences with other Christians. However, the Church was calling to dialogue with other religions, thus Catholics had to be open to other faiths while maintaining their own identity. They also had to deal with mixed marriages, which represented a huge challenge, especially in the faith education of children. Third, the ecumenical dialogue called the Church to discuss the main theological differences with other churches, such as the relation of Scripture to tradition, the role of Mary in man’s salvation, the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper, and papal primacy and infallibility. Though there are not many agreements on these topics, Lutherans and Catholics signed a joint declaration on the doctrine of Justification in
The Second Vatican Council issued two decrees that transformed the way Catholics saw other Christians and people who practice other religions. …show more content…
First, Vatican II explored a different way to understand salvation. For instance, the doctrine of “There is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church,” was developed to the new understanding that the Church of Christ “subsists in the Catholic Church… although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure” (Lumen Gentium 8). Second, there was a new sense of Catholic identity. Indeed, Catholics were used to understand themselves based on the differences with other Christians. However, the Church was calling to dialogue with other religions, thus Catholics had to be open to other faiths while maintaining their own identity. They also had to deal with mixed marriages, which represented a huge challenge, especially in the faith education of children. Third, the ecumenical dialogue called the Church to discuss the main theological differences with other churches, such as the relation of Scripture to tradition, the role of Mary in man’s salvation, the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper, and papal primacy and infallibility. Though there are not many agreements on these topics, Lutherans and Catholics signed a joint declaration on the doctrine of Justification in