Religious Life and Priesthood: Perfectae caritatis, Optatam totius, Presbyterorum ordinis by Maryanne Confoy (review)

This is the last volume of an eight-book series commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council. The series, entitled Rediscovering Vatican II, is edited by Christopher Bellitto, assistant professor of history at Kean University and academic editor-at-large of Paulist Press. The author of this volume is a Sister of Charity of Australia. She lectures in Practical Theology at the Jesuit Theological College in Victoria, Australia and is a visiting professor at the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry at Boston College. While acknowledging that these documents are not the most notable of the Council in terms of impact or influence, Confoy explores their riches with clarity and insight. The documents treated in this book are primarily addressed to those who work professionally in ministry, that is, priests and vowed men and women. The documents are Presbyterorum Ordinis On the Ministry and Life of Priests, Optatam Totius On the Formation of Priests and Perfectae Caritatis On the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life.

This book (and the entire series) has three goals. The first is to educate the reader about the origins and development of each conciliar document as well as to explain their main points. The second is to review how the post-conciliar church accepted, rejected or revised the teachings found in the document. The final goal is to assess and elucidate the council's reforms and paradigm shifts as well as the directions in which the church seems to be heading.

The volume is divided into three sections, one for each conciliar document. Each section is divided into the same four parts. In the first part, each document is set in its historical moment and is related to the other conciliar documents. This first part also chronicles the development of the document from its first schema through the debates on the floor and in committees to the final redaction. This exposition is full of interesting facts about the interventions of various bishops. The reader will gather much insight from these exposés but might be disappointed at the total lack of reference to Communicationes.

In the second part of each section, the major teachings of each document are clearly and succinctly laid out. This exposition is a handy overview of the entire document and will be invaluable for someone new to the documents.

In the third part of each section, Confoy addresses how the document has been implemented or not implemented in the life of the Church. By it nature, the author is making a subjective judgment on some post-conciliar documents and events. The apostolic visitation of seminaries in 1981 and 2002 are highlighted in the section on the training of priests. The conflict between Cardinal McIntyre of Los Angeles and the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is treated in the section on the adaptation and renewal of religious life. Confoy tries to name some of the major post-conciliar documents pertaining to each topic, but she does not satisfy anyone looking for a list of such documents.

The fourth and final part of each section is entitled "State of the Question." This part attempts to look forward and name those trends that point to a clear direction for the future. These may be the weakest parts of the book but, admittedly, they are the hardest to write.

Commemorating the work of Vatican II is very worthwhile. This volume will help those preparing for professional ministry and religious life to understand the importance of these documents and will give new insight to others who have lived through that time in the Church.