Remember That Scene in Scanners Where the Dude's Head Exploded?

That's pretty much what happened to the liberals of the world when they read Pope Benedict's latest shpiel on Vatican II. If you were to ask most of that crowd where we should look to really understand the Council, they'd probably sing all sorts of songs about the wonders of Karl Rahner, Hans Kung, Ed Schillebeecx (sp), or John Courtney Murray.

The Pope has different ideas. Per this article in Zenit, we would be best served by looking to Pius XII. Specifically, "with the exception of sacred Scripture, this Pope is the authorized source that the council cites most frequently."

Quite interesting, especially since Pope Benedict directly references Mystici Corporis, which many liberal tried to claim was somehow no longer relevant in light of VII's "People of God" language. Let's think in even more detail. This means Mediator Dei and Humani Generis should be in the mix as well, with all their condemnations of archaelogism in the Mass and confusing the natural and supernatural orders.

And you can't just write these things off as random, isolated footnotes either.

"Moreover," he continued, "the references to these documents are not, in general, mere explanatory notes, but rather frequently are authentic integral parts of the conciliar texts; they do not just offer justifications in support of what the text affirms, but further offer an interpretive key."

In other words, when in doubt as to what the Council means, check Pius XII first.