What Leo XIV's 'complete commitment' to Vatican II REALLY means
What are the implications of Leo XIV's 'complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council'?
What are the implications of Leo XIV's 'complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council'?
(WM Review)—On Saturday 10 May 2025, Leo XIV set out the agenda for his reign over what he had previously called the “Synodal Church.” In this address, delivered to his cardinals, he affirmed his adherence to the revolution of Vatican II:
In this regard, I would like us to renew together today our complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.
Pope Francis masterfully and concretely set it forth in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, from which I would like to highlight several fundamental points: the return to the primacy of Christ in proclamation (cf. No. 11); the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community (cf. No. 9); growth in collegiality and synodality (cf. No. 33); attention to the sensus fidei (cf. Nos. 119-120), especially in its most authentic and inclusive forms, such as popular piety (cf. No. 123); loving care for the least and the rejected (cf. No. 53); courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities (cf. No. 84; Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1-2).1
It should be clear that this “complete commitment” applies both to “the path” followed since Vatican II, as well as Vatican II itself. In addition to this address, Leo XIV has also referred to the documents of Vatican II on several occasions since his election.2
What are the implications of these statements?
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