Yves Congar and the Meaning of Vatican II by Fr. Robert Barron
Well worth a read.
Yves Marie-Joseph Congar OP (13 April 1904 – 22 June 1995) was a French Dominican friar, priest, and theologian. He is largely unknown, but a major, if not the major, contributor to Vatican II. He is well known as a promoter of Tradition in theology – but that was not at all the 'tradition' promoted by the Roman Curia, with its tendency to ultramontanism – a position critical of any liberal or socialist dialogue, it affirmed supremacy of the Pope and the Holy See as the sole arbiter in almost every aspect of religious life. The dogmatical declaration of papal infallibility was in response to growing liberal and socialist trends in secular politics and philosophy. ('Ultramontane' is French, means “beyond the mountains,” meaning Rome, on the other side of the Alps.)
Congar's views led him to be vilified and ostracised. His promotion of a "collegial" papacy and criticisms of the Roman Curia, led to him being forbidden to teach. His books were withdrawn and placed on the Index. He was seen as an enemy of the church.
Of those years he wrote: "As far as I myself am concerned, from the beginning of 1947 to the end of 1956 I knew nothing from (Rome) but an uninterrupted series of denunciations, warnings, restrictive or discriminatory measures and mistrustful interventions.”
Then, out of the blue, he was invited by Pope John XXIII (elected 1958) to serve as a theological specialist in preparing the Second Vatican Council. Classically, he found out by reading about it in a Catholic periodical – the Curia had failed to inform him.
Congar is now regarded as the single most formative influence on Vatican II. Pope John XXIII wanted to make him a cardinal, but he refused, and continued to refuse, eventually acquiescing to John Paul II in 1993, just a year before he died.
Well worth a read.
Yves Marie-Joseph Congar OP (13 April 1904 – 22 June 1995) was a French Dominican friar, priest, and theologian. He is largely unknown, but a major, if not the major, contributor to Vatican II. He is well known as a promoter of Tradition in theology – but that was not at all the 'tradition' promoted by the Roman Curia, with its tendency to ultramontanism – a position critical of any liberal or socialist dialogue, it affirmed supremacy of the Pope and the Holy See as the sole arbiter in almost every aspect of religious life. The dogmatical declaration of papal infallibility was in response to growing liberal and socialist trends in secular politics and philosophy. ('Ultramontane' is French, means “beyond the mountains,” meaning Rome, on the other side of the Alps.)
Congar's views led him to be vilified and ostracised. His promotion of a "collegial" papacy and criticisms of the Roman Curia, led to him being forbidden to teach. His books were withdrawn and placed on the Index. He was seen as an enemy of the church.
Of those years he wrote: "As far as I myself am concerned, from the beginning of 1947 to the end of 1956 I knew nothing from (Rome) but an uninterrupted series of denunciations, warnings, restrictive or discriminatory measures and mistrustful interventions.”
Then, out of the blue, he was invited by Pope John XXIII (elected 1958) to serve as a theological specialist in preparing the Second Vatican Council. Classically, he found out by reading about it in a Catholic periodical – the Curia had failed to inform him.
Congar is now regarded as the single most formative influence on Vatican II. Pope John XXIII wanted to make him a cardinal, but he refused, and continued to refuse, eventually acquiescing to John Paul II in 1993, just a year before he died.