The Tenacity of Popular Devotions in the Age of Vatican II: Learning from the Divine Mercy

Robert E. Alvis

doi:10.3390/rel12010065

Abstract

Despite is global popularity in recent decades, the Divine Mercy devotion has received scant scrutiny from scholars. This article examines its historical development and evolving appeal, with an eye toward how this nuances our understanding of Catholic devotions in the “age of Vatican II.” The Divine Mercy first gained popularity during World War II and the early Cold War, an anxious era in which many Catholic devotions flourished. The Holy Office prohibited the active promotion of the Divine Mercy devotion in 1958, owing to a number of theological concerns. While often linked with the decline of Catholic devotional life generally, the Second Vatican Council helped set the stage for the eventual rehabilitation of the Divine Mercy devotion. The 1958 prohibition was finally lifted in 1978, and the Divine Mercy devotion has since gained a massive following around the world, benefiting in particular from the enthusiastic endorsement of Pope John Paul II. The testimonies of devotees reveal how the devotion’s appeal has changed over time. Originally understood as a method for escaping the torments of hell or purgatory, the devotion developed into a miraculous means to preserve life and, more recently, a therapeutic tool for various forms of malaise.

Highlights

Promulgated in 1963, Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) is widely recognized as among the most consequential of the 16 documents issued at the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965)
The document commends devotions in general, but it calls for them to be kept in proper perspective: “These devotions should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some fashion derived from it, and lead the people to it, since, the liturgy by its very nature far surpasses any of them” (Sacrosanctum Concilium 1963, sct. 13)
The fact that so many gravitated to the new practices described by Faustina points to an important dynamic within Catholic devotionalism in general: It is at once highly traditional and open to innovation

Summary

Introduction

Promulgated in 1963, Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) is widely recognized as among the most consequential of the 16 documents issued at the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) It articulates a program of reform of the liturgical life of the Catholic Church, with a particular focus on promoting “fully conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations” among all the faithful, lay and ordained alike In her study of the revived interest in erecting and tending to wayside crosses in rural Quebec, Hillary Kaell describes how these practices have evolved to reflect the values of contemporary Quebecois Catholics: “Caretakers still pray at their crosses and maintain them, though they have come to view such acts differently from their parents They rarely focus on communal devotions and never pray for protection against agricultural plagues and fires. I conclude with some observations concerning how the historical trajectory of the Divine Mercy confirms and nuances our understanding of the recent history of popular devotions

Interwar Origins

Catastrophe as Catalyst

Vatican II and Karol Wojtyła

John Paul II and Divine Mercy

A Global Devotion

Conclusions