Preview

Explain the Contribution to the Development and Expression of Christianity of John Xxiii.

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1217 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Explain the Contribution to the Development and Expression of Christianity of John Xxiii.
The contribution of Pope John XXIII has been profound, as many of his initiatives and actions are still resonating today. His acceptance of Jesus’ words “I came to save all nations.” Represented his motivation to do well and bring peace upon the world. He was an advocate of Christian unity, social justice, human rights and the promotion of world peace. It is through his development of the Second Vatican Council, his contribution to ecumenism and his empathy for humanity that Pope John XXIII made a significant impact upon the development and expression of Christianity.

The essence of the contribution made by Pope John XXIII was his calling together of the Second Vatican Council that aimed to address modernisation of the Catholic Church, ecumenism and to bring a social reformation system, “it was to be a new Pentecost, a means of regeneration for the church…a way towards the reunion of the separated brethren of the east and west” – Pope John XXIII. This regeneration was known as “Aggiornamento”, meaning renewal. This reformed Christian church worked to develop and renew the expression of Christianity.

Through the Vatican II the church established a definition for itself; a church for all people. The Vatican II was responsible for sixteen significant documents that developed and reformed the expression of Christian beliefs. The document ‘Dei Verbum’ (Constitution on Divine Revelation) encourages the laity to study the Bible as the Word of God – hence the Scriptures became a significant and relevant part of worship again. ‘Sacrosanctum Concilium’ (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) amplifies that everyone is encouraged to participate fully in the Eucharist and other sacraments, changing the liturgy so that it responded to the needs of the people. Pre Vatican II there was an emphasis on sacredness of liturgy as a means of salvation, a care in keeping liturgy uniform, Latin was used in church services throughout the world and the priests performed while the laity

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Pope John XXIII was a highly influential, religious leader in the Catholic Church, whom was elected Pope on 28th October 1958. Although he was thought to be a transitional pope, John XXIII was often addressed as the ‘good pope’ due to his significant involvement in Catholicism. He challenged the role of the Catholic Church and emphasised the importance of interfaith dialogue. John XXIII’s most significant impact is the creation of the Second Vatican Council, which taught the Catholic Church to “open the windows” to engage with the modern world. Pope John XXIII was also passionate in promoting social justice, world peace and human rights. The statement clearly defines the impact John XXIII contributed to, as he reformed and revitalised the Christian tradition to adapt to the modern world of the 1960s, as well the ecumenism of all Christian denominations.…

    • 1294 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pope John XXIII’s call for the Second Vatican Council led the renewal of the Catholic Church and changes within the Liturgy. John XXIII reaffirmed the importance of the Scripture and Jesus by translating the Bible from Latin into the vernacular as outlined in the Vatican Document Dei Verbum. This was also combined with changes to the Liturgy as outlined in Sacrosanctum Concillium which included reconnecting the liturgy to the people by translating the liturgy into the vernacular as well. Translating from Latin in the language of the people demonstrated that the faith adapted to its global expansion and responded to the needs of the people. This allowed for greater involvement and understanding of the Mass and restored people’s connection to the practice of their faith. As a result, lay people have access to Revelation and can further understand the Gospels and Jesus’ message imbedded in them in order to live a holy life in accordance with Jesus’ teachers so that they may reach God’s Kingdom in the afterlife. The quote from John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” expresses…

    • 1080 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The end of the fifteenth century had left Christendom with a Church in great need of reform. The Church had been greatly weakened by the events of the past few centuries. The fourteenth century’s Great Famine and Black Death had battered the public’s trust in the Church, as had the Papal Schism spanning from 1378-1417. When the ideas of Martin Luther began to spread in the early 1500s, the Church became afraid for its power, its reputation, and its finances. Luther was promising people that they would be saved through their faith alone—what place did that leave for the Church and its teachings? In any other time in human history, Luther’s ideas likely would have been quietly beaten down and buried, but a very unique set of circumstances allowed the ideas of a small-town monk and professor to take on the immense power of the Catholic Church. While others’ ideas could be ignored, the Church was intensely threatened by Luther because his ideas questioned the role and necessity of their already-weakened institution, called for an end to indulgences, endangered social stability, and exposed the failings of the Church by returning to the Bible as the only source of God’s truth.…

    • 1741 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    But the most momentous act of his pontificate was, of course, his decision to call an ecumenical council of the Universal Church, the first since 1870 and only the twenty-first in the Church's 2000 year history. Know as the Vatican…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While there is certainly debate about whether or not Jews were the primary audience for the gospel of John, there are many who do believe that John is the most Jewish of the four gospels. For example, Steve Wertheim, of Jews for Jesus related the following observation:…

    • 735 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Northern European Humanism

    • 1307 Words
    • 6 Pages

    -Major goal was the reform of Christianity –cultivated a knowledge of the classics – focused on the sources of early Christianity, the Holy Scriptures and the writings of such church fathers as Augustine, Ambrose, and Jerome. – most important characteristic was its reform program – they felt that through education in the sources of classical, & especially Christian, antiquity, they could instill a true inner piety that would bring about a reform of the church and society. – supported schools by bring new editions of classics, bible etc – belief in the power of education would stay with the society.…

    • 1307 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Gospel of John, written by John the Apostle, is unlike from the other three Gospels and covers copious theological contented in respect to the being of Christ and the significance of faith. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are frequently mentioned to as the "Synoptic Gospels" for the objective that of their identical periods and comfortable, and meant at they suggestion a plan of the period of Christ. The Gospel of John twitches not thru Jesus' birth or worldly ministry but then through the action and features of the Son of God previously His becoming man (John 1:14). The Gospel of John highlights the divinity of Christ as is understood in his usage of such expressions as "the Word was God" (John 1:1), "the Savior of the World" (4:42), the "Son…

    • 222 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Narrator: An epidemic has spread through the land, not one of disease and illness, but of religious, political, and social change. A Reformation was in place, a religious movement that resulted in the establishment of Protestant churches. Four men who contributed to this reform of the Catholic and Protestant churches were King Henry VIII, Martin Luther, Pope Leo X, and John Calvin, and they have gathered to discuss how this Reformation dramatically changed Christian unity in Europe.…

    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    New circumstances called for re-appraisal of the church: its position and purposes. A pragmatic response to changed circumstances was called for. Theological speculation may be a past-time in the East: in the West attention turned to converting the pagan invaders. Thus we embark on period of little original development in (western) Christian thought: “Theology became a matter of compilation and commentary rather than of reflection and adventure” (Gonzalez). A period of consolidation had begun.…

    • 1539 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    This was a program of study that aimed to replace the scholastic emphasis on logic and metaphysics with the study of language, literature, rhetoric, history, and ethics” (Coffin et al, 375). On the other hand, the rise of town, growth of capitalism and birth of democracy had contributed variously from the middle age for the reformation process. Similarly, the fragmentation of Germany into 300 states also facilitated to make voices against the corruption of the church without fearing about the central powerful government. Now, they could print the Protestant books and distribute to the public, which was very significant at that time. Likewise, Pope Leo X was desperate for money to complete the magnificent St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome, which contributed to justify the common people about the nature of the church and motivate them for the process of reformation.…

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Vatica Ii

    • 1179 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In October 11, 1962, over 2500 catholic bishops assembled in Rome under the leadership and guidance of Pope John XXIII. Top catholic leaders felt that the church needed urgent and radical reforms so as to make the church relevant and engage it to the modern world. The assembly took four years to come up with a set of regulations that governed the relationships of the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. The gathering documented and referred to the new reforms as the Second Vatican council (Vatican II). Today, there is widespread debate on whether the council has failed or succeeded in achieving the goals and objectives set (Ratzinger 19). Therefore, this brief essay examines the situation of the church before and after the Vatican II.…

    • 1179 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hsc Exams

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Christianity was separated from the modern world before the changes implemented by Pope John XXIII. This made it difficult for adherents especially Roman Catholics to affiliate with the modern world. However through the famous doctrines which were created in the Vatican II in 1962 such as ‘Constitution of the Church’, John had improved the communications with the church and followers. This put Christianity back into a positive frame of mind with other adherents. There was separation and tension between different Catholic denominations, however it was through Ecumenism that the tension between denominations had eased. Examples of this are shown through the establishment of ‘NSW Ecumenical Council in 1965’. John also promoted peace through his two encyclicals “Pacem in Terris and Mater et Magistra, which has influenced globally the life’s of adherents through promoting of world peace. However one of the significant impacts which John had was through the modifications in a Catholic mass such as; facing the followers in Mass, no longer performing mass in Latin and telling adherents to accept all of other religious traditions saying it’s “good and true”. He was a modern day role model, who stated; “I want to be kind forever”. This is evident through winning “Man of the year award” in…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Maya Angelou: A True Hero

    • 1401 Words
    • 6 Pages

    He had many courageous acts in his lifetime that had helped human rights and many children. He is the patron of World Youth Day, which was created to celebrate youth. Children were one of his favorite things. During World Youth Day, popes strongly emphasize the meaning of children and how they are a gift. They explain how the good and creative possibilities from the children of Christ can help make this world a bigger and better place to live in. Every year, Pope John Paul II had contributed much to the organization and explained the love of his children of Christ. Not only did he provide many things for World Youth Day, there were many principle documents that he had made. There were fourteen encyclicals, thirteen apostolic exhortations, eleven apostolic constitutions, and fourth-two apostolic letters. He had cared for so many of his people. Three books he had written were Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Gift and Mystery: On the 50th Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination, and Roman Tryptych- Meditations. As said before, Pope John Paul II had exclusively cared for his people. He had presided at one hundred thirty-eight beautification ceremonies and forty eight canonization ceremonies. During the Second Vatican Council he had played a significant role. All his papers and presentations had continued to enrich the Church. His articles had much interest in his theological and philosophical ideas. As the 283rd successor of the Apostle Peter, he was a very charismatic man. He had led people the right way to Christ and showed how he can rediscover the fulfillment and purpose of human life (Baron). No other person had ever seen any human being encounter as many people as he did. By understanding the nature of human life and using his teachings, Pope John Paul II had been an extreme inspiration for many of God's…

    • 1401 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Catholic Church Events

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The catholic church has a long and extravagant history that begins itself over two thousand years ago when Jesus died and left behind his “church” to do His work. There have been many key people and events that have shaped the church through its two thousand year, roller-coaster history. Secular rulers and religious leaders, popes and laity have all played a significant role in this event filled history. In particular, Saint Peter, Pope Innocent III, and the Second Vatican Council were very influential in shaping the Catholic Church into what it is today.…

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    First, “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church” which sought for the council fathers to be able to apply biblical terms over juridical details to describe the church; the “Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation” which connects scripture and tradition to that of the word of God and; the “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of Today” which accepts the drastic changes that humanity is experiencing and attempts to relate the church’s approach to reflect the demands and values of modern society. All of these documents had a significant and lasting impact on the religion as a whole, even after John’s death. Pope John XXIII established the Second Vatican Council, completely altering Roman…

    • 961 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays