Das Konzil am Grab

Autor(en)

Kurt Appel, Sebastian Pittl

Abstrakt

The text argues that there are two often overlooked events that sheds light on the second Vatican Council which is known for its renewal of the self-understanding of the church. These events are the tomb of Pope Paul VI which was fashioned according to his testament in 1978 and the signing of the „pact of the catacombs“ by Council Fathers in the catacombs of St. Domitilla in 1965. The tomb of Paul VI is strikingly modest when compared to the grand graves that surround it and ought to express the beauty and splendour of heaven. The text argues that Paul VI’s plain tomb is a radical sign and aesthetic change. It points to the poor and wretched as the centre of the church. The tomb is a reminder that this must not be forgotten by the church and that the glory of the church is only preliminary with regard to the real glory of the church of the poor. This designates the goal of the Council whose realization Paul VI’s invested his life in as he saw in the poor a principle for the evangelization of the world as they represent Christ. The second forgotten event that the text refers to is the „pact of the catacombs“ which is a vow signed by 500 bishops from different continents. The vow is a self-commitment to live in greater poverty and solidarity with the poor. Both events designate the change in perspective that the Council aimed at as both events express that what is essentially Christian is not to be found at the center but at the peripheries. The text shows that understanding the second Vatican Council itself requires change in perspective. A fruitful approach is opened up by rethinking the Council from places at the peripheries. The text demonstrates this by referring to catacombs outside of Rome and Paul IV’s humble tomb amidst grand monuments.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Systematische Theologie und Ethik

Seiten

13-24

Anzahl der Seiten

13

Publikationsdatum

2012

ÖFOS 2012

603206 Fundamentaltheologie, 603211 Kirchengeschichte

Schlagwörter

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/das-konzil-am-grab(13f3f7a5-8392-4baa-bbb3-fcb4d34689ef).html