12 R.E: Second Vatican Council and Marriage

structures definition

• refers to the organised system of leadership and authority within a religion

• includes the roles, responsibilities and hierarchy through which a religion functions

• In the Catholic Church, this includes the Pope, bishops, priests and other clergy

• it is viewed as a complex system, which can be well-structured (eg. the Vatican hierarchy) or informal (eg. local prayer groups)

• eg. Ecumenical Councils - Vatican II

processes definition

• refers to the methods or procedures through which a religion expresses and carries out its beliefs, teachings and governance

• reflect and express how the structure operates in practice

• can be clearly defined (eg. the Mass) or more flexible (eg. informal prayer services)

• eg. the pre-Council meetings, sessions, discussions, voting and resulting documents, sacraments, liturgical reforms

function/purpose of religious structures and processes

• teaching and safeguarding the Christian message

• providing for the growing holiness of believers

• governing the Church in Jesus’ name

• (preserving and passing on the teachings of Jesus)

• (ensuring the Church remains relevant and faithful in changing times)

• in the Catholic Church, this includes preserving apostolic tradition, making doctrinal decisions, and engaging with modern issues through councils and other leadership bodies

examples of religious structures and process

• structures

  • synods

  • plenary councils

  • papal conclaves

  • apostolic succession

  • ecumenical councils

• processes

  • decision-making during ecumenical councils

  • election of a Pope

  • canonisation of saints

  • liturgical celebrations

  • processes of reform (eg. liturgical renewal)

aggiornamento definition

• Italian - a bringing up to date

• expressed an important aim Pope John XXIII had for the Council, namely finding ways to rethink and reformulate the Christian faith in order to more effectively communicate the Gospel

ressourcement definition

• French - a return to the authoritative sources

• an important way of meeting the aims of the Council, the refreshing of Catholic though in order to respond to the challenges of the time

• central to this approach was an openness to rediscovering the truth and meaning to be found in the authoritative sources of Christian faith, particularly in biblical and patristic sources

name and outline the key features of a religious structure and/or process [4]

• Ecumenical Councils - a structure and process used by the Roman Catholic Church, a denomination of Christianity

• refers to a formal gathering of bishops from around the world under the authority of the Pope

• purpose is to discuss and resolve key issues of doctrine, discipline, and practice

• only the Pope can convoke, suspend or approve the Council’s decisions

• produces official documents (eg. constitutions, decrees, declarations) that shape Church teaching and practice

• eg. the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was the 21st Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church

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1. Ecumenical Councils are irregular meetings of the entire episcopate (bishops) of the world

   • that means a gathering of all the bishops worldwide, however historically, most ecumenical councils have been limited to just bishops from Western countries

2. their purpose is to address internal and external issues facing the Catholic Church

   • internal issues include matters concerning doctrine, beliefs and practices such as the mass

   • external issues could be how the Church engages with wider society

3. the role of the Pope is a distinct feature of Ecumenical Councils

   • all laws and teachings issued by the council must first receive confirmation by the Pope

   • the vacancy of the Holy See (period between death/resignation of Pope and election of his successor) immediately suspends the Ecumenical Council

examples of important issues a religion needs to address/significant events and issues in history

• laity disengagement in religious practice

  • Mass was in Latin, led entirely by clergy, little understanding by laypeople

• secularism

  • religion declining in public importance, rise of separation between Church and state, Church seen as outdated

• revolutions/modernism

  • social movements challenged Church authority

  • eg. sexual revolution, scientific developments such as contraception, increasing individualism and liberal values

• ecumenism (division among Christian denominations)

  • division among Christian denominations due to past conflicts like the Reformation

• world conflicts

  • wars (WWII, Cold War) exposed the Church’s moral silence/complicity

• centralisation and clericalism

  • Church was Rome-focused, laypeople had little role

• scientific enlightenment

  • rationalism and empirical science questioned Church teachings

describe the historical context of an event or issue from the past that was significant for a religion [3-4]

before the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965):

• the world was recovering from WWII, the Cold War, and global depression

  • caused widespread disillusionment and questions about religion’s role in global conflict

• the Church faced challenges from Enlightenment thinking, secularism, scientific advancement, and political ideologies like communism and fascism

  • challenged the Church’s authority and role in public life

• there was disunity among Christian denominations following the Reformation and East-West Schism

• laity participation was minimal, and Church practices felt outdated and disconnected from modern society

  • the Church was seen as rigid and out of touch

explain why this event or issue is considered significant for a religion [4]

• the Second Vatican Council is significant because it renewed the Church’s self-understanding and engagement with the modern world

• it changed the way the Mass was celebrated, making it more accessible by allowing vernacular languages, communal singing, and lay roles like readers and altar servers

• it gave greater roles to the laity, encouraging active participation in Mass and ministry

• it encouraged unity among Christians (Ecumenism), promoting dialogue with other Christian denominations and religion

• it addressed major global issues and made the Church more accessible and relevant to modern believers

• it marked a major shift toward inclusivity and aggiornamento (bringing up to date)

explain how a religion uses a particular structure and/or process to address important issues (using an example) [5-6]

• structure/process used

  • Ecumenical Council - Second Vatican Council

• issue addressed

  • disengagement of the laity and the Church’s disengagement from modern society

• what happened

  • convened by Pope John XXIII to address challenges from the modern world, and continued under Pope Paul VI

  • held in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

  • included 2,500 bishops and observers from other Christian denominations and even women (a first in Church history) to discuss and respond to modern challenges

  • spanned four sessions over three years

  • it issued 16 documents - 4 constitutions, 9 decrees, 3 declarations

• how it was used

  • the Council acted as both a structure (gathering of bishops with papal approved) and a process (consultation and creation of Church documents)

  • introduced major liturgical reforms - use of vernacular languages, more Scripture in Mass, prayers of the faithful, and allowing the priest to face the congregation

  • laity were given active roles (eg. readers, altar servers), deepening their faith and understanding

  • promoted social justice, religious freedom and the Church’s responsibility to engage with modern science, culture and politics

  • the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) called for ‘full and active participation’ of the laity in Mass

  • the Council also produced Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes, which emphasised the dignity, mission, and responsibility of all the faithful

• impact

  • marked a major turning point in Church history

  • made the Mass more inclusive and meaningful

  • helped the Church reengage with the modern world and the global Christian community

  • still influences Catholic liturgy, teaching and interfaith dialogue today

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The Catholic Church uses ecumenical councils as a formal structure and process to address significant theological, moral, and social issues. An ecumenical council is a gathering of bishops from around the world, led by the Pope, to discuss and define teachings in response to challenges facing the Church and society.

Through this process, the Church listens to the needs of the faithful, studies Scripture and Tradition, consults theological experts, and then issues official documents that clarify doctrine or update Church practices. These councils are authoritative and have long-lasting impacts on Catholic belief and practice.

Example:
The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) addressed important issues such as the role of marriage in modern society. It reaffirmed marriage as a sacrament and covenant, emphasising not just procreation but also mutual love and partnership. This response helped the Church adapt to changing views on family and relationships, while staying faithful to its tradition. Through the structure of an ecumenical council, the Church provided clear and unified guidance on a key issue affecting Catholics worldwide.

outline the key features of one religious belief, teaching, ritual or practice [3-4]

• the Sacrament of Marriage is a belief of the Roman Catholic Church, a denomination of Christianity

• is a sacred and lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, instituted by God and witnessed by the Church

• sacrament

  • marriage is a visible sign of God’s love, mirroring the unbreakable bond between Christ and the Church

• vocation

  • marriage is a divine calling to serve one another in love, faithfulness and mutual respect

• fidelity and unity

  • spouses are called to exclusive faithfulness and physical and emotional unity

• fecundity (procreation)

  • openness to having children and raising them in the faith is central

• dissolubility

  • marriage is permanent - “what God has joined, no one must separate” (Matthew 19:6)

explain three moments in the development of this religious belief, teaching, ritual or practice [4 each]

• Jesus at the Wedding at Cana (New Testament)

  • Jesus’ presence at the Wedding at Cana (John 2) elevated marriage to the status of a sacrament

  • his first public miracle there symbolised that marriage involves God’s presence

  • Jesus also taught that marriage is indissoluble, saying “What God has joined together, let no man separate” (Mark 10:9)

  • this moment redefined marriage as a sacred covenant, not merely a social construct

• St Augustine’s Theology (4th-5th Century)

  • amidst heresies like Manicheanism and Pelagianism, St Augustine defended marriage’s goodness and sanctity

  • he taught that marriage’s primary purposes were procreation, fidelity and sacramentality

  • he rejected the idea that the material world (including sexuality) was evil and affirmed that marriage had spiritual value and was vital for the continuation of human life

• the Council of Trent (1547)

  • during the Protestant Reformation, the CC reaffirmed marriage as one of the seven sacraments

  • the Council of Trent established canon law requirements for valid marriages - consent, witnesses and proper disposition

  • it declared marriage as a sacred institution, clarified teachings on procreation and fidelity, and addressed abuses like secret or forced marriages

• the Second Vatican Council

  • early 1900s saw the traditional teaching that marriage was mainly for the purpose of procreation

  • the council taught that marriage is a sacrament and primarily a covenant

  • it saw nuptial love as a symbol of the love between Christ and the Church

  • the parents are to do their part with the psychological, cultural and social renewal to their children

  • the spouses cooperate in creation with God’s love and so this makes them interpreters of the love of God

using an example for each, explain two factors that can lead a religion to develop its beliefs, teachings, rituals or practices [8]

• cultural and historical context

  • in the early Church and Middle Ages, marriage was often a private or civil affair

  • the Church gradually brought it into the public, spiritual realm to counter societal practices like polygamy and to protect women’s dignity

  • by declaring it a sacrament, the Church responded to cultural changes and asserted spiritual authority over family life

• theological debates and heresies

  • movements like Manicheanism, which saw physical realities as evil, and Pelagianism, which dismissed the need for divine grace, prompted theologians like St Augustine to clarify the spiritual and moral dimensions of marriage

  • later, the Council of Trent responded to Protestant critiques by reinforcing marriage’s sacramental nature and grounding it in Church law and theology

explain how one person, event, issue, idea or process was significant to the development of this religious belief, teaching, ritual or practice [6]

• St Augustine of Hippo

• he laid the theological foundation for understanding marriage as a sacrament

• in response to heretical views, he defended marriage’s goodness by emphasising:

  • its procreative purpose, citing Genesis “Be fruitful and multiply”

  • its spiritual and moral value, opposing the idea that sexual relations, even within marriage, were impure

  • the fidelity and indissolubility of the marriage bond

• Augustine’s writings shaped Church teaching for centuries and were influential in doctrinal development, particularly in later councils such as the Council of Trent