The development of the theology of primacy after the second Vatican council (1962-1965)

Abstract

The primary purpose of this paper is to present the post-council theology in terms of theology of primacy of the most important theologians and in the most important documents in the period after the Second Vatican Council. Based in its documents, the Council made a huge turn in the Roman Catholic ecclesiology. However, although the Ecumenical Council did not give any final solutions, documents about the most important issues remain open for further reflection and contemplative upgrading. The Council only laid the foundations on which such an undertaking could begin. The paper focuses on theology of primacy that evolved from the Council?s documents during the period after the Second Council. The focus will be on subjects that had an impact not only on the Roman Catholic, but in particular on the Orthodox and other churches as well. The author of the paper will say more about the infallibility of the Pope, the primacy of the Roman bishop, about the relation of the Pope with other bishops, and about the relation of local and universal Church in the light of the post-council theology. Particular attention will be paid to the New catechism, a statement of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Mysterium Ecclesiae, and the dispute between cardinals Joseph Ratzinger and Walter Kasper about the relation between the universal and local Church, with special reference to the letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Communionis Notia, written by Cardinal Ratzinger.