Rev. Ralph Wiltgen: The Rhine Flows Into the Tiber: A History of Vatican II

[Stone]

CONTENTS

THE FIRST SESSION October 11 to December 8, 1962

A Leap Forward, 13 / The European Alliance, 15 / Third Victory, 19 / Sacred Liturgy, 24 / The Press and Secrecy, 29 / The Mission Viewpoint on the Liturgy, 35 / “The Christian Life Is Not a Collection of Ancient Customs,” 39 / Updating Liturgical Practices—Some Underlying Issues, 42 / Deadlock and Solution, 46 / In Search of Unity, 51 / What the First Session Achieved, 56



THE SECOND SESSION September 29 to December 4, 1963

Preparing for the Second Session, 63 / The Mechanics of the Liturgical Commission, 65 / The Last Months of Pope John’s Life, 68 / A Secretariat for Non-Christian Religions, 73 / The Fulda Conference and Its Implications, 78 / Opening the Second Session, 84 / The Schema on the Blessed Virgin Mary, 90 / The Diaconate, 96 / The Laity, 100 / Religious Orders and the Universal Vocation to Sanctity, 103 / The Roman Curia under Fire: Schema on Bishops and the Government of Dioceses, no / Collegiality, 114 / Observer-Delegates and Guests, 119 / World Alliance, 128 / Adoption of the Schema on Communications Media, 130 /Adoption of the Schema on the Liturgy, and Its Implementation, 136



THE THIRD SESSION September 14 to November 21, 1964

Speed Is of the Essence, 145 / Organized Opposition, 148 / Information Please!, 150 / The Blessed Virgin and the Church, 153 / Religious Freedom, 159 / Jews and Moslems, 167 / The Schema on Divine Revelation: Some Papal Directives, 175 / Women at the Council, 184 / Expanding the Propositions on Priests and . the Missions, 189 / Seating the Patriarchs, 198 / The Church in the Modern World, 205 / Defeat for the Moderators, 212 / Seminaries and Schools, 222 / The Preliminary Explanatory Note, 228 / Black Week, 234



THE FOURTH SESSION September 14 to December 8, 1965

Alignments on the Schema on Religious Freedom, 247 / Solving the World's Problems, 252 / The Church’s Missionary Activity, 256 /Authority of Bishops over Schools, 260 / Primly CaibaTy, 262 / Marriage and Birth Control, 267 / Atheism and Communism, 272 / On Nuclear Weapons, 278 / Invitation to Rediscover God, 282


APPENDIX 287
INDEX 289



In gratitude to Michael and Martha Wiltgen of Chicago, my father and mother.


It is clear that the history of this Council will have to be written according to the best approved norms laid down for historians by the ancient writers. The first of these is: “Do not dare to say anything false, and at the same time do not dare to keep back the truth. Let there be nothing in what you write that arouses suspicions of favoritism or animosity.” (Cicero, Or. n, 15)

Pope Paul VI
January 31, 1966