The Church in the 20th

Century

Learning Objectives
Identify and explain the
challenges to Church teaching
in the 20th Century
Identify and explain the
important decisions made at
the Second Vatican Council

Warm Up:
Explain how Christian
Antisemitism contributed to
the Holocaust.

Pope Pius XII 1939-1958

War was inevitable
Worked for peace
After German occupation of Italy
Worked to protect Jews
Vatican = neutral
Sheltered thousands of Jews
Convents, monasteries, schools, hospitals

Pius XII's Teachings

Reactions to the modern world
Reopened doors to Scripture Study
Studied within the context of History

Renew liturgy - led to Vatican II

Holy Eucharist
Reduced fast

Maximilian Kolbe
Polish Catholic priest
Assisted Jews
Auschwitz
Was executed in place of Jewish man
who was married

St. Teresa Benedicta of the

Cross
Edith Stein
Jewish woman
Declared herself an atheist
Converted to Catholicism after reading
about St. Teresa of Avila
Died in Auschwitz gas chamber

Attacks on the Church

Church persecuted by
Soviet states of Eastern Europe
Maoist China

1960's Smear Campaign

Pius XII = Hitler's Pope
The Deputy - play by Rolf Hochhuth, a
German Protestant

Pope John
XXIII
1958-1963

Elected as caretaker
Pope
Post-war Church =
spiritually poor
Church in 1950's =
unity & strength
Goal = engage Church
in modern world
Convened Second
Vatican Council

Vatican II: Four Goals

1. Define nature of Church & role of

Bishops
2. Renew the Church
3. Restore unity among Christians
4. Begin a dialogue with the world

Vatican II Changes
Mass in vernacular
Priest facing congregation
Stand to receive Communion
Liturgical music stressed communal
singing
Changed the relationship between the
Church and other faith groups, especially
non-Christian faiths

Pope Paul VI: 1963-1978

Italian
Traveling Pope
Commitment to ecumenism
Lifted excommunication of Eastern
Orthodox Church (1054)

Implemented Vatican II reforms

Reform liturgy & restore permanent
deaconate

 Canonized American Saints

Elizabeth Ann Seton
St. John Neumann
!

Established Synod of Bishops

Global advisory board for the pope
Meet every few years/discuss topic of
importance

 Humanae Vitae (1968)

Papal Encyclical
On Human Life
Very controversial
Reaffirms Church teaching against
artificial birth-control

Bl. Pope John Paul II

1978-2005
Born & raised in Poland
By age 21, his immediate family
deceased
Ordained in 1946
Many interests, multi-lingual, worldtraveler

Bl. John Paul II's teachings:

Major problems of modern world
Threats from Marxism & secular
humanism
Universal Pastor of Church
Highly visible
Teacher - in person & writings

Inspirational example of Christianity

Pope Benedict XVI

2005-2013

Foremost intellectual theologian

Dedicated to JPII's teachings
Beatified
Bl. John Paul II

First pope to retire since

Gregory XII in 1415

Pope Francis: 2013-Present

Argentinian First Jesuit pope
First pope from the
Americas
First pope to take the name
Francis
Extremely committed to
unity, peace, care for the
poor