Passionist Participation at Vatican II 1962-1965
by Father Rob Carbonneau, C.P.
Passionist bishops taking part in
Second Vatican Council:
First row left to right: Bishops Legaristi, O'Gara, Peruzzo,
Battistelli, Hagendorens, Fernández
Second Row left to right:Bishops Muruaga, Pesce, Deane, Pellanda,
Olwell, Sillekens
Happy Fortieth Anniversary! How we remember or discuss the historical or theological meaning of Vatican II might very well show our age. During the 2003 luncheon at the American Catholic Historical Association in Chicago, Illinois I had a discussion with Assumptionist Father George H. Tavard about the role Passionist Father Barnabas Ahern at the Second Vatican Council. Thinking beyond the individual, however, Father Tavard pondered the need for Roman Catholic religious orders to examine their participation at Vatican II and their implementation of the documents into their respective ministries
The discussion prompted me to dig the above photo out of the
Passionist Historical Archives. A look at those bishops and a quick
reading of their short the biographies are an opportunity for the
Passionist, historians and friends of Passionist history to ask
some basic questions:
† How can we find out more biographical information on
these men?
† Were these bishops excited about their participation in
Second Vatican Council?
† Were they conservative or progressive?
† How did they vote on the documents?
† How did the bishops bring to life the documents in their
dioceses when the Council ended?
† What was the contribution of the Passionist bishops and
priests who served as Council experts?
† How would one combine the resources in international
archives to write Passionist history?
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