Question 215 – Should we be more honest about the Second Vatican Council?

 

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Interview Organization: The Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima
Interviewer Name: Christopher Wendt
Date: September 13, 2023
We must follow the truth, as only it will free us from ambiguities. Over time, these ambiguities will be revealed and corrected by future Popes, as they cannot reconcile with the Church's timeless tradition. The Second Vatican Council's pastoral teachings are not definitive, and some may need future correction, though most align with Catholic tradition.
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Transcript:

No, because we must honestly follow and live by the principle that only the Truth will set us free from ambiguities. One day, these ambiguities will come to light, and we cannot hide them. Whether it takes some time or even decades, the truth will emerge, and future generations, including future Popes, will demonstrate that these ambiguities are either incorrect or cannot be reconciled with the constant, millennia-old tradition of the Church. We must avoid attempting to "square the circle."

There are clear expressions in the Second Vatican Council. Pastoral teaching, I repeat, is not definitive doctrinal teaching; there is no definitive teaching of the Second Vatican Council. This council purposely avoided making definitive doctrinal statements. Pope Paul VI declared that there was no definitive teaching from the Second Vatican Council because its purpose was pastoral. Therefore, what is pastoral teaching? The entire council can be subject to further or future corrections. This is the case with the Second Vatican Council, and there is no issue with Catholic teaching that some expressions of a council, which are not proposed as definitive teachings, can be modified, improved, or even corrected. We must be very honest about this.

Of course, the majority of the expressions and affirmations of the council are traditional Catholic teachings, and there is no issue with accepting them or interpreting others in light of tradition and continuity. However, there are some affirmations that, in themselves, are erroneous. Therefore, these ambiguous teachings must be corrected in the future.