In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Reviewed by:
  • Vatican II. Expériences canadiennes. Canadian Experiences ed. by Michael Attridge, Catherine E. Clifford and Gilles Routhier
  • Robert Kaslyn S.J.
Vatican II. Expériences canadiennes. Canadian Experiences, edited by Michael Attridge, Catherine E. Clifford and Gilles Routhier. Ottawa: Presses de l'Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa Press, 2011. Pp. 1-578.

According to the editors, the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council "provided an occasion for scholars in theology from across Canada to revisit this event, its reception, and interpretation in Canada" (Introduction, 14; en français, 11). The occasion led to a common research project and then to three colloquia; this text collects a majority of the papers presented at those colloquia. This text is divided into three parts, each of which is further divided into two or three sections. Part I is entitled "Various Views of the Council;" Part II, "Canadian Participation at the Council and Afterwards;" and Part III, "Vatican II is Received by the Church." The text includes a list of contributors with brief biographies and, to great advantage, an index.

Of the twenty-seven articles seven are in French. While the disparity is explained partly by the extensive work on Vatican II already published in French by Gilles Routhier and his collaborators—as Michael Fahey notes on page 149 and on pages 156-157—such disparity does not reflect the judgment that French-speaking Canada's contributions before, during and after the Council were more notable than that of English-speaking Canadians (despite the révolution tranquille; see Fahey, 169).

As someone who has benefited from graduate studies in Canada (University of Toronto and Saint Paul University) I enjoyed reading this book, especially the numerous references to my former professor, Canon Eugene [End Page 680] Fairweather (see especially the article by Michael Attridge, "A Canadian Anglican at Vatican II: The Activity of Eugene R. Fairweather," 341—359). The book draws on theological authors from across Canada, each of whom addresses a specific topic from a particular viewpoint. As with any collection, the articles vary one from another, depending on the individual author's background, scholarship and area of expertise; some articles are more reflective. The average length of an article is approximately twenty pages. Nonetheless, the text as a whole testifies to the important Canadian contribution to the Second Vatican Council and its implementation in the life of the Church. A number of individual articles are open invitations for more research and study—the inspiration perhaps for future dissertations and theses.

Karim Schelkens' contribution, "Cardinal Paul-Emile Léger and the Establishment of the Mixed Commission on Revelation" is particularly thought-provoking. Given Cardinal Léger's influence and connections (recall that his brother Jules was Governor-General of Canada 1974-1979), his impact at the Council and afterwards merits greater study. Schelkens notes one important contribution was Léger's audience with Pope John XXIII on November 20, 1962, which led to the establishment by the Pope of a new mixed commission consisting of members from both the Doctrinal Commission and the Secretariat for Unity, a "crucial" decision "not only for the revelation debate but also for the further development of the entire council, and it clearly underlined John XXIII's ongoing efforts for the Church's aggiornamento" (206-207). This incident highlights the one essential key to the Second Vatican Council: while questions remain concerning its proper or correct interpretation, no one may gainsay the significant (at the very least) differences between the texts prepared by the Curia for consideration by the Council Fathers—such as the Schema de Sacra Scriptura—and the texts which were ultimately approved by the Council. Reading the proposed texts prepared by curial officials in juxtaposition to the promulgated texts is necessary to any understanding, interpretation and implementation of the Council.

Michael Fahey, S.J. in "Growing Awareness Regarding Vatican II in Canadian Theological Journals and Monographs (1959-1969)" (148-169) offers, in this reviewer's judgment, two significant contributions. First, he presents an overview of Canadian theologians and their "helpers" such as Bernanrd Lambert, O.P., Gregory Baum, René Latourelle, S.J., André Naud, and Bernard Daly among others, as well as...

pdf

Share