Gaudium Outline
GAUDIUM ET SPES
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World
A Note on the Organization of the Document
Gaudium et Spes is divided into Parts, Chapters, Sections and/or Articles:
Parts: The body of the document (excluding the Preface, Introduction and Conclusion) is divided into two Parts. “In Part I the church develops its teaching on humanity, the world it inhabits, and its relationship to women and men. Part II treats at length of various aspects of life and human society today and in particular deals with those questions and problems which seem to have greater urgency in our day.” (Note 1, pp. 172-173)
Chapters: Both Parts of the document are divided into several Chapters, each of which explores a specific doctrinal principle or applies it to a contemporary problem. Because the numerical sequence of Chapters is specific to each Part of the document, we identify Chapters by Part first, then by Chapter number (e.g., Chapter I of Part I would be “Chapter 1.1” but Chapter I of Part II would be “Chapter 2.1”).
Sections: Three of the nine Chapters are sub-divided into numbered Sections, which are in turn sub-divided into Articles.
Articles: All Chapters are sub-divided into numbered Articles. The English translator of the Vatican Council II documents (Flannery) has added individual titles to most Articles. We identify the Articles by these titles in the outline that follows.
Preface
Article 1. Solidarity of the Church with the Whole Human Family
What is the church? It is “a community of people united in Christ and guided by the holy Spirit in their pilgrimage towards the Father’s kingdom.”
Christians form a community; they are not an aggregate of otherwise unconnected individuals. This contrasts with individualistic notions of Christian faith (“Jesus is my personal savior”)
The threefold description of the church derives from the central Christian doctrine of God as Triune, as a “Trinity” of persons defined by their unity of being and
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World
A Note on the Organization of the Document
Gaudium et Spes is divided into Parts, Chapters, Sections and/or Articles:
Parts: The body of the document (excluding the Preface, Introduction and Conclusion) is divided into two Parts. “In Part I the church develops its teaching on humanity, the world it inhabits, and its relationship to women and men. Part II treats at length of various aspects of life and human society today and in particular deals with those questions and problems which seem to have greater urgency in our day.” (Note 1, pp. 172-173)
Chapters: Both Parts of the document are divided into several Chapters, each of which explores a specific doctrinal principle or applies it to a contemporary problem. Because the numerical sequence of Chapters is specific to each Part of the document, we identify Chapters by Part first, then by Chapter number (e.g., Chapter I of Part I would be “Chapter 1.1” but Chapter I of Part II would be “Chapter 2.1”).
Sections: Three of the nine Chapters are sub-divided into numbered Sections, which are in turn sub-divided into Articles.
Articles: All Chapters are sub-divided into numbered Articles. The English translator of the Vatican Council II documents (Flannery) has added individual titles to most Articles. We identify the Articles by these titles in the outline that follows.
Preface
Article 1. Solidarity of the Church with the Whole Human Family
What is the church? It is “a community of people united in Christ and guided by the holy Spirit in their pilgrimage towards the Father’s kingdom.”
Christians form a community; they are not an aggregate of otherwise unconnected individuals. This contrasts with individualistic notions of Christian faith (“Jesus is my personal savior”)
The threefold description of the church derives from the central Christian doctrine of God as Triune, as a “Trinity” of persons defined by their unity of being and