Gaudium et Spes (meaning ‘Joy and Hope’), the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, stands as one of the four pivotal constitutions born out of the Second Vatican Council. True to Vatican tradition, its title is derived from the document’s opening words in Latin, ‘the joys and hopes.’
THE SPIRIT AT WORK IN ITS DEVELOPMENT
As the final document of the Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes (GS) was approved by a vote of 2,307 to 74 from the assembled bishops and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on December 7, 1965, the Council’s closing day.
Unlike other documents, GS was not pre-drafted; it emerged organically from the discussions among the Council Fathers themselves. This fact highlights how strongly the Council Fathers felt about the theme of the Church in the world. The document’s content and emphasis were meticulously debated through multiple drafts.
Toward the end of the Council’s first session, Belgian Cardinal Suenens emphasized the need for the Church to address worldly issues rather than focus solely on internal matters. Cardinal Montini of Milan (later Pope Paul VI) supported Cardinal Suenens’ proposal the following day, and Cardinal Lercaro of Bologna echoed similar sentiments shortly thereafter. Thanks to the backing of these influential Council Fathers, the outcome was the longest document produced by any of the 21 ecumenical councils in the Church’s 2,000-year history.
Br. Sunil Britto CFC
To read the entire article, click Subscribe
