De Lubac’s notes on the Second Vatican Council, section 3

By Dr. Jeff Mirus ( bio - articles - email ) | May 26, 2015

I’ve just posted the third selection of excerpted notes from Henri de Lubac's Vatican Council Notebooks. You can jump directly to this new material: Early Weeks of the Council.

This section covers the opening weeks of the Council in October of 1962. De Lubac’s notes during this period focus on the efforts of various factions to control the ground rules, and on the episcopal comments regarding the reform of the liturgy. I have quoted only a little of the liturgical material, because almost none of it differs in the slightest from discussions still common today. The procedural and underlying theological issues strike me as far more historically revealing. In addition, some notes emphasize the complexities of the conciliar experience, including the typically baleful influence of the press.