Resources for Faith Formation

Vatican II - Getting it right

A parish catechetical leader recently asked, "I’m looking for a book or document that explains what they 'thought' Vatican II was saying and what Vatican II really meant.  Is there such a thing?"

Some good places to start include "What Went Wrong with Vatican II" by Ralph McInerny, or "Vatican II: The Crisis and the Promise," by Alan Schreck.

Pope Benedict identified the primary problem as being the interpretation of the council, calling it the "discontinuity hermeneutic" (click here). One section of this address is included below. In another place, he said "the Marxist interpretation of the Council caused utter chaos" in the Church (paraphrase). Bishop Morlino has explained this point of Pope Benedict in two columns here and here.

From Pope Benedict's Christmas Address 2005:

...The question arises:  Why has the implementation of the Council, in large parts of the Church, thus far been so difficult?

Well, it all depends on the correct interpretation of the Council or - as we would say today - on its proper hermeneutics, the correct key to its interpretation and application. The problems in its implementation arose from the fact that two contrary hermeneutics came face to face and quarrelled with each other. One caused confusion, the other, silently but more and more visibly, bore and is bearing fruit.

On the one hand, there is an interpretation that I would call "a hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture"; it has frequently availed itself of the sympathies of the mass media, and also one trend of modern theology. On the other, there is the "hermeneutic of reform", of renewal in the continuity of the one subject-Church which the Lord has given to us. She is a subject which increases in time and develops, yet always remaining the same, the one subject of the journeying People of God.

The hermeneutic of discontinuity risks ending in a split between the pre-conciliar Church and the post-conciliar Church. It asserts that the texts of the Council as such do not yet express the true spirit of the Council. It claims that they are the result of compromises in which, to reach unanimity, it was found necessary to keep and reconfirm many old things that are now pointless. However, the true spirit of the Council is not to be found in these compromises but instead in the impulses toward the new that are contained in the texts.

These innovations alone were supposed to represent the true spirit of the Council, and starting from and in conformity with them, it would be possible to move ahead. Precisely because the texts would only imperfectly reflect the true spirit of the Council and its newness, it would be necessary to go courageously beyond the texts and make room for the newness in which the Council's deepest intention would be expressed, even if it were still vague.

In a word:  it would be necessary not to follow the texts of the Council but its spirit. In this way, obviously, a vast margin was left open for the question on how this spirit should subsequently be defined and room was consequently made for every whim.

The nature of a Council as such is therefore basically misunderstood. In this way, it is considered as a sort of constituent that eliminates an old constitution and creates a new one. However, the Constituent Assembly needs a mandator and then confirmation by the mandator, in other words, the people the constitution must serve. The Fathers had no such mandate and no one had ever given them one; nor could anyone have given them one because the essential constitution of the Church comes from the Lord and was given to us so that we might attain eternal life and, starting from this perspective, be able to illuminate life in time and time itself.

Through the Sacrament they have received, Bishops are stewards of the Lord's gift. They are "stewards of the mysteries of God" (I Cor 4: 1); as such, they must be found to be "faithful" and "wise" (cf. Lk 12: 41-48). This requires them to administer the Lord's gift in the right way, so that it is not left concealed in some hiding place but bears fruit, and the Lord may end by saying to the administrator:  "Since you were dependable in a small matter I will put you in charge of larger affairs" (cf. Mt 25: 14-30; Lk 19: 11-27).  ...

Reiki and the Catholic faith

Several people have called the OEC to ask about the practice of Reiki and whether it is compatible with the Catholic faith. On March 25, 2009, the USCCB's Committee on Doctrine issued a statement that strongly criticizes the practice. Click here to read "Guidlines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy."

Although some will object to such a classification, Reiki is basically a New Age spiritual practice. The Church offered a fairly extensive commentary on New Age stuff in "Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life," which can be found here.

Q: Is the practice of reiki morally wrong? A relative is starting to become involved and I am concerned for her.
A: Reiki is not a Christian religious practice. It is from Japanese Buddhism and involves non-Christian religious principles (e.g., moving around one's life energy or ki-the ki in reiki). The practice of reiki is not consonant with Catholic spirituality.

A quick summary of the problem as stated by Catholic Answers:
Christian anthropology holds that man is a union of body and soul such that the soul is the essential form of the body (a point infallibly defined by the Council of Vienna). The soul is a substantial form, not a type of energy. The Catechism points out that "it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body" (CCC 365). From a spiritual perspective, it is the soul that is the life-principle of the body, not something else.

Consequently, there is no spiritual "life energy" animating the body. Any energy used as part of the body’s operations—such as the electricity in our nervous systems—is material in nature, not spiritual. The various forms of Hinduism and Buddhism that posit the existence of a life energy (ki or kundalini) interpret that energy as spiritual. Since this is contrary to Christian theology, it is inappropriate for Christians to participate in activities based on this belief.

Some interesting links related to a Catholic view of Reiki:

• A good place to start -- a fairly in-depth article about Reiki. Click here.
• An interesting view of first-hand experiences from the Diocese of Johannesberg 
  in South Africa. Click here.
• An article titled "The Occult Nature of Reiki." Click here.

Living the Catechism of the Catholic Church: A Brief Commentary on the Catechism for Every Week of the Year, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn. (Curriculum Library: Adult Faith Formation shelf) Published: Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1995-2000. Four Volumes: Creed, Sacraments, Life of Christ, and Paths of Prayer.

Cardinal Schönborn, the editor of the monumental Catechism of the Catholic Church, a worldwide best seller, provides 52 brief and profound commentaries in each of these four volumes on their respective topic.

In this fascinating and inspirational journey with the chosen disciples of Jesus, Pope Benedict XVI demonstrates a profound, unbreakable continuity – built upon the foundation of the Apostles – by which Christ is present today in His Church.

This study guide offers to help readers of The Apostles deepen their understanding of the content offered and reflect on the contemporary applications.

The Faith Explained is an all-in-one handbook to help you understand, explain, and defend the great truths of the Catholic Faith. In brief and readable chapters, it explains the purpose of human existence, God and His perfections, the creation and fall of man, the Incarnation, the Redemption, the sacraments, sacramentals, prayer, the importance of the Bible, and much more. Perfect for RCIA classes, this book is also a magnificent refresher course on the Faith for Catholics and an illuminating resource for non-Catholics with questions about the Church.

This book began as a series of talks on the theology of the body given at Mother of God Community in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The inspiration for it was in large part the fruit of the beautiful example of Christian marriage witnessed by the author. Her study distills the dense teaching of John Paul’s vast teaching on the theology of the body.

This book was written by Dr. Hippler at the request of then Bishop of LaCrosse, Raymond Burke, to help fill the lack of authentic Church teaching in most Catholic high school textbooks. Citizens of the Heavenly Cityis a valuable resource for Catholic students as well as other Catholics who need a clear explanation of just what the Church’s social teaching consists of and in what sense it obliges Catholics.
In his foreword, Archbishop of St. Louis, Raymond Burke declares that this book “is directed to helping our youth to understand and to observe the pastoral priority of witnessing to Christ in their ordinary Christian living. It is a text which will also be fruitfully studied by adults who desire to deepen their own understanding of what it means to live in Christ.”