My Journal of the Council

by Yves Congar Op, Mary John Ronayne OP (Translator)

"At the beginning of the meeting Cardinal Ottaviani said that, to speed the work up, the experts will speak only if they are asked a question. At my side, Rahner was champing at the bit, and said to me `what are we doing here . . . ?'" (Wednesday 3 June 1964) Yves Congar, OP, was one of the most important and influential theologians of the twentieth century. Much of this influence came as a result of his role as theological advisor to the bishops who participated at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). After working under a cloud of ecclesiastical censure and suspicion in the decade prior to its start, Congar was, from beginning to end, an influential day-to-day participant in the council's work. He also managed to keep detailed personal notes throughout the time. At long last, the council diaries of Yves Congar are available in English! This material is a treasure trove of information and insight for anyone interested in the history of that council and its remarkable and historic teaching. It provides a window into the council's workings and the development of what would become a series of historic documents and declarations. It also offers Congar's own down-to-earth and personal perspective on many of the other remarkable figures who played a role in the council.

Genres: Religion, History, Theology, Nonfiction, Catholic, Christianity, Biography

1104 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2012

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hard work, but it was absolutely worth it. The ups and downs of Vatican II, written in real-time. The dirty secrets on all the politics happening behind the scenes. Hilariously blunt comments from Congar. During a particularly long and boring speech, he turned to a colleague and asked "is he selling socks or braces?" He calls a number of people imbeciles. Congar has insightful observations on two future popes, Ratzinger and Wojtyla. He also makes numerous observations about the radical methodology of Hans Kung.

But among the drama also emerges the remarkable humility and patience of Congar. He was in poor health for most of these years, and often writes of being spiritually and physically tired. Yet he continued working. He had fierce opponents, but he faced all of it with patience, in the hope that given time, an open spirit would prevail. He saw other theologians trying to BE the council, and he despised this. He considered his role, the role of the theologian, to be assisting and informing the bishops, so that the bishops could make properly informed decisions. In his book, True and False Reform, Congar insisted that reform must happen, but it must happen through humility and painstaking patience. This journal showed me what that looks like in action.

[Adam DeVille, Ph.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I've noted elsewhere at length, readers coming to this book will be astonished by the details, awed by this man's bluntness (so much so that publication was embargoed until the year 2000), convulsed with laughter at some of his acerbic but accurate comments, bored by some of the tedious details of endless meetings, but delighted for hours on end with this delicious vin extraordinaire.

Further thoughts here: http://easternchristianbooks.blogspot...

And here: http://easternchristianbooks.blogspot...

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to the theology of Congar. I can’t recommend this book highly enough to those trying to gain insight to the Council.

[MargCal · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My Journal of the Council" by Yves Congar (read January-February 2013)
Trans: Mary John Ronayne OP' Mary Cecily Boulding OP
English trans editor: Dennis Minns OP
ISBN: 9780814660292

It was hard work getting through this but so worth it, reading the contemporaneous diaries of a theological expert at the Second Vatican Council. Heart-breaking though that the intent of Vatican II was thwarted at every turn and that even the compromise positions that were finally accepted have never been fully implemented and even the implementations that have made it are and have been wound back.

I was delighted to discover that the editor is an excellent lecturer I had when I studied theology many years ago.

I read this in hardback and Kindle, depending on where I was, ie the hardback always stayed at home!
When reading on Kindle, I followed footnotes on the Kindle phone app!!
Kindles are really only good for novels, they don't handle illustrations, tables, graphs, footnotes, etc well. But better than nothing as a substitute for weighty tomes such as this.