ipl-logo

The Effect Of Second Vatican Council On Catholicism In 20th Century America

1220 Words5 Pages

The effect of Second Vatican Council on Catholicism in 20th Century America
Pope John XXIII, when elected was expected to lead an uncontroversial and uneventful reign. In 1962, he surprised nearly everyone with the calling of The Second Vatican Council. Bishops from around the world were called to Rome to participate in a historical gathering to adapt the Church to the needs of the changing world. Vatican II was aiming to provide a different opportunity to the Church to discuss and determine issues that were of great importance such as faith and morals. However, it is beyond doubt that Vatican II was going to have an enormous impact on American Catholicism. It is very obvious that the American Catholic Church had not known novelties such as the draft proposed by the Council. The “aggiornamento” was to bring new ideas that will bring drastic changes to religious practices. After the Second Vatican …show more content…

Catholicism in America prior to Vatican II was a church well-organized although it had developed in an intellectual environment marked by anti-Catholic prejudice in the Protestant area, and absolute indifference in non-denominational academic fields. It should not be forgotten that, since the late nineteenth century to the next century, the priority of the Catholic Church in the United States had been to integrate the many Catholic immigrants who had arrived from Europe during those decades. Catholic communities in America had set mostly around parishes located at the center of the city and which were characterized by national origin of its inhabitants, among them where the Polish, Germans, Italians and Irish. Catholics then remained very committed to their faith; always keeping

Show More
Related
740 Words | 3 Pages

The Council of Trent was the turning point for the Catholic Church. The Church was able to change because when the church changed the Catholic people were more expanding towards other countries in overseas . However, there wasn’t too much of a change because all the people who belonged to the Catholic Church did not change the point of view of how they look upon God. Examples such as how the Bread and Wine will mean that God will stay with you and be with you on your side. Martin Luther was and is still an important person for the people in Italy and Germany.

Read More
492 Words | 2 Pages

The government in England had significant control over their people in many areas, one of these areas being religion. The major religion in England during that time period was Roman Catholic. The Catholics and Protestants often times would try to ban each other’s religion. The people of the Protestant faith in order to get away from the Roman Catholic Church, migrated to America; since one of the drawing factors was the chance to practice their religious beliefs freely.

Read More
1477 Words | 6 Pages

This was due to the mounting Protestant fear of Catholics changing the current social structures (Billington 362), as Protestants only believed that the Catholics would change American society for worse. Morse felt that all the new Catholics in America would remain loyal to the papacy, and that this would interfere with the republican system that America was built on (Henretta 310). As historian Ray A. Billington notes, it was also believed that Protestants would attempt to destroy Catholic churches in the West, making them susceptible to danger (Billington 371). The Irish spread their Catholic religion as they moved westward, and faced some opposition from fearful

Read More
215 Words | 1 Pages

This was not the only case of discrimination against religious affiliations in immigrants. Many groups sprung up that targeted select groups of immigrants like anti-Catholicism, anti-Irish,

Read More
1323 Words | 6 Pages

During this period the Renaissance Popes failed to fulfill the churches spiritual needs, and they were often involved in worldly concerns such as Pope Julius II who was a “warrior pope” leading armies into battle. Christians were disgusted, they viewed the Pope as their spiritual leader, someone to lead them spiritually not into battle with the enemy. The church failed as many of the church officials were ignorant of their spiritual duties and more concerned with accumulating more wealth, and the use of their position within the church offices to their advantage to further advance their careers and fortunes. (Duiker, World History, 421) While the spiritual leaders of the church were failing their responsibilities many of the people were looking for some sort of meaningful religious expression and most importantly salvation after death.

Read More
843 Words | 4 Pages

This was important in that the people could know what they were actually putting their faith in, rather than blindly following a man (the Pope) who could in fact be corrupt. In truth, there was

Read More
822 Words | 4 Pages

Response Paper 5: Religious Reform Since the fall of the Roman empire, the Catholic church had a reputation for being stable. This gave people a sense of security and made them believe that whatever the Catholic church did, was what God wanted done. Then, in 1378 the Catholic church had three popes, because its rulers were so despite for power, that neither one of them refused to give up the papacy. This greed slowly trickled down to every level of the Catholic church.

Read More
376 Words | 2 Pages

Bacon 's Rebellion was the consequence of discontent among backcountry ranchers who had taken the law into their own particular hands against government debasement and abuse. Numerous Virginians were indebted individuals. Obtaining on the quality of paper cash was ceased by the British Government, prompting more discontent against the vendor classes. A large number of the supporters of the defiance were obligated workers and slaves, who were a lion 's share of Virginia 's populace. Students of history have pointed out that a standout amongst the most essential changes made amid Bacon 's administration was the acknowledgment of the privilege to remain battle ready, so that the normal man could safeguard himself from threatening Indians

Read More
700 Words | 3 Pages

The enormous social change that Australia experienced in the 1960s and 1970s changed the perspective that the Catholic Church had on their

Read More
1240 Words | 5 Pages

Week Seven: The Key Issues for Religious Reform In this week’s paper I will be discussing the Popes power over the world, the evils done by the Roman Catholic Church that led to the Protestant Reform movement and how the Protestant Reform movement of the world was seen as a threat to the power of the Pope. Even though the Pope is just a pontiff of the Roman Catholic church (An Open Letter to The Christian Nobility.pdf) he is also seen as Peter’s vicar (John Hus On the Church.pdf) and that makes him the head of the Roman Catholic church. Martin Luther also goes on to talk about the power of the Pope as the head of the Roman Catholic church and that power gives the Pope the ability to distinguish between who is qualified to be clergy and who

Read More
1678 Words | 7 Pages

The Catholic leadership made every attempt to keep educating as many Catholic students as possible. When World War I ended and the children and families were struggling to join the culture around them or “Americanize,” they could turn to their Catholic schools for support. American Catholic schools were providing a faith-based education, and they were also providing hope and a hopeful safe haven for children. Catholic schools and churches would support families struggling to get food on the table or even find work to buy the food for the table. These families came to America with little and the Great Depression did much to add to their

Read More
423 Words | 2 Pages

Whatever may have been happening beneath the surface in the post war era, the upsetting developments of the 1960s and 1970s was right out front for everyone to see. If the post war years represented wide ranging growth and diversification for the churches, the 1960s simply shock the America people because of terrorism in Canada, and in North American. The churches and Christianity was marked by moral revolution and they received public attention as they sought an accommodation with the time. There were many things that taken place in this era.

Read More
445 Words | 2 Pages

Numerous aspects influences Europeans to immigrate to the United States including unemployment, the seeking of refuge from religious prosecution, food shortages, and increasing threats of war. Hope that America would provide a new home with a new start encouraged 6.3 million people to enter the United States between 1877 and 1890. Prior to the 1880’s, most immigrants originated from Germany, Ireland, and England; however, the sources began to shift away from northern and western Europe in the 1880’s. An increase of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe quickly replaced those prior to the 1880’s. “New immigrants” from Italy, Greece, Austria-Hungary, Poland, and Russia practiced Catholicism and Judaism instead of Protestantism.

Read More
355 Words | 2 Pages

of two Church documents: The first document is Gaudium et Spes - the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Church in the Modern World; The second document is Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II’s Encyclical on the Promotion of a Culture of Life. The key concept of Gaudium et Spes, the dignity of the human person made in the image of God, is clearly the basis for the defense of life at all stages affirmed in Evangelium Vitae. It is evident that the inspiration for the very idea of a culture of life comes from Gaudium et Spes. The purpose of these two documents was to emphasize on the culture of life and to expand the Church’s teachings on the sanctity of life. They do not simply state the Church’s position on various life issues, such

Read More
620 Words | 3 Pages

The main change in Vatican II was the use of the vernacular, the language of the land for not only the parts of the mass but also for the proceedings of each sacrament. This change impacted the Catholic Church as parishioners were now able to understand what was going on during Mass instead of going to Mass listening to the priest speak in a language they didn’t understand. There was also the revision of liturgical books which enabled all Catholics to be able to take more part in worship to God. The point of Vatican II was to update the Church, and by changing the language of worship, it would help the Church community be more involved in

Read More

More about The Effect Of Second Vatican Council On Catholicism In 20th Century America

Related Topics

Open Document