Perhaps the best surprise at The Observer’s Year of Faith Book Club meeting, Feb. 20, was the unexpected appearance of our own “periti,” or theological expert, in the person of Jim Campbell.
Campbell and his wife, Barbara, are the authors of study guides for the Vatican II documents, written especially for the Rockford Diocese for the Year of Faith.
Our members who were able to join our discussion at the Diocesan Administration Center in Rockford wasted no time asking him questions about a variety of topics from “What Happened at Vatican II” by Father John W. O’Malley, SJ, and the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium.
O’Malley explains in his book that the final text was a revamped version of De Ecclesia, a proposed document that was to explain the Church. In the first session of the Second Vatican Council, though, it became clear that the proposal wasn’t going to be adopted.
The final version? Among it’s messages is that baptism brings all Christians into the People of God, and that is where Church begins.
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And, up next, ahead of Bishop Malloy's next Year of Faith Lecture on the same topic, we'll be looking at the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes).
There's already a link to the document on our Vatican resources page (click on the tab above to get there) and, as soon as we get a study guide, we'll post it, too.
We'll gather at 4 p.m., March 13, at the Diocesan Administration Center, 555 Colman Center Dr., Rockford.
We’ll also continue to use “What Happened at Vatican II” by Father John W. O’Malley, SJ, as our guide through the council. (Look especially at chapter 5.)
To join us for our discussion, please register by March 12 at http://observer.rockforddiocese.org/year-of-faith-blog.You’ll get a confirmation email before the meeting.
Info: Sharon Boehlefeld, 815/399-4300, ext. 405; sboehlefeld@rockforddiocese.org.
