THE REAL PRESENCE

CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST

Application Tips for Vatican II Excerpts

Make copies and distribute them.

This is the most effective way to reach people off of the net. You can make copies to give to friends who have been confused by misinterpretations of Vatican II. Show them that the documents which are often misquoted repeatedly acknowledge the Real Presence and encourage devotion to it. Also, what about giving copies to your Bishop or Priest. If you think your diocese or parish needs to become more Eucharistic, show them what the documents say. You could also check out the full documents from the local library to prove that the excerpts are in context. If you follow the reference numbers from the excerpts, you should be able to find the passage in the full document.

Proving the Church's call for belief and devotion to the Real Presence from the Vatican II documents can be very persuasive. Some Catholics ignore the Catechism because it has been published by a "conservative" Magisterium. Those who call themselves "liberal" often quote the VII document in their defense. However, the changes in the liturgy called for by The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy do not support some of the liturgical changes which are occurring. Of primary concern is the decreased emphasis on the Eucharist to help transform us into holy people of God.

The most persuasive excerpts to make hard copies of are:

The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church

Probably the most important document of Vatican II, it defines the fundamental beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church. Look how the Eucharistic is emphasized.

 

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy

The document which has been most misinterpreted, resulting in decreased belief and devotion to the Real Presence. The document calls for liturgical reform, but look at what it really calls for compared to what is going on in some parishes today.

 

Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church

This document calls Bishops to increase belief and devotion to the Eucharist.

 

Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests

This document, more than any other from Vatican II, asks priests to become more devoted to the Eucharist and to promote this devotion.

 

Decree on Ecumenism

States that the Eucharist is not a symbol like other Christian churches claim.

 

Decree on the Apostolate of the Lay People

States that lay people need to take a more active role in building up the Church. We can infer that promoting Eucharistic devotion is one way to accomplish this.

Other documents contain references to the Real Presence, but you will probably find these most helpful and applicable.