November 14-21, 1964 has been given the name "Black Week" by the progressives of Vatican II because it marks the point when their power finally began to wane. It was then that Paul VI and more orthodox Council Fathers started to figure out that something was amiss and began asserting themselves much more in the conciliar proceedings. I mention some the earlier shenanigans that tipped them off in this post. You don't see this mentioned much because to do so would shatter the popular image of the Council. I've been told that Hans Kung was actually the guy who coined the term "Black Week," but regardless, it's popular enough that everyone who was there who thought that this stuff was bad calls it that.
Basically, this one week saw a delay in the vote on what became Dignitatis Humanae, requested revisions to what became Unitatis Redintegratio, and Paul VI declaring Mary as "Mother of the Church" on his own authority. This last was an especially big deal considering that the progressives (with the exception of Cardinal Suenens, I think) were absolutely opposed to such a measure, fearing an ecumenical backlash from Protestants. As though that should be a consideration. This title of Our Lady had actually been excised from an earlier draft of the Constitution on the Church and rejected outright in the form of a separate document that was meant to be just about her. Anyways, this move by Pope Paul ticked off a lot of people.
Really, though, the biggest thing to come out of Black Week is what's now known as the Nota Praevia. This was an "explanatory note" that was added to Lumen Gentium. It clarified certain aspects of the document's teachings on the authority of bishops and the Pope. Otherwise, LG shaded awful close to heresy. The bad thing is that this addendum is supposed to be a "prefatory note." In other words, you're supposed to read it first. Somehow, it always winds up being put at the end, where a lot of people miss it. Other folks ignore it altogether. This is how we got a lot of our misguided ramblings about "collegiality" and that bishops are no longer answerable to the Holy See.
If anyone wants to learn more about this, check any of the books I have listed to the right that concern the Council.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The 44th Anniversary of Black Week
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2 comments:
You seem to have spent hours and hours studing upon that matter. I like the way you write and the concept of yours is very good!(although i am a non-believer).In your profile you say that you are a student and you are only eighteen. I was surprised. I will turn eighteen this January and I am still going to high school though it is my last year. Well, hope you will visit my blog and tell me your opinion whatever it is. cheers!
Thank you. It's pretty great to see someone from as far off as Greece giving us a read.
I think you might have looked at my profile wrong. I'm not a student, nor am I eighteen. Perhaps you are speaking of my colleague Turgonian, who has posted a few comments.
By the way, I myself am a huge Tolkien fan and just got around to finishing Children of Hurin. My favorite characters of the series are Gandalf and Treebeard.
Keep stopping by. We're a good bunch here, I think.
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