Second Vatican Council

Mass in English and priest facing the people.

The two things mentioned above, Mass in English and the priest facing the people, were not requested not mandated by the Vatican Council. As the current Pontiff and his predecessor have mentioned, the Church went off the rails and put in things that were "in the spirit of Vatican II". Well, if there was a spirit of Vatican II, this wasn't it. The Council did request that the readings be put in the vernacular so that people could more readily understand them, however, it specifically requested that the rest of the Mass remain in Latin. As for the priest facing the people - there is absolutely nothing in any of the Council documents that even mention this, and, as a matter of fact, the Missal, itself, specifically mentions that at certain times during the Mass, the priest "is to turn around and face the people" assuming that the priest is facing the altar with his back to the people - a position known as "ad orientem" (toward the east-everybody facing the same direction).

Please see the links below:

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from Wikipedia:

Attendance varied in later sessions from 2,100 to over 2,300. In addition, a varying number of periti (Latin: "experts") were available for theological consultation-a group that turned out to have a major influence as the council went forward. Seventeen Orthodox Churches and Protestant denominations sent observers. More than three dozen representatives of other Christian communities were present at the opening session, and the number grew to nearly 100 by the end of the 4th Council Sessions.

The previous declarations on these issues were contained in the Syllabus of Errors, issued by Pius IX in 1864, in response to the Enlightenment. It was considered by Catholic theologians as having binding force, although opinion was divided as to whether each and every statement defined in the Syllabus as false was infallibly false. It condemned as false statements requiring separation of Church and state, as well as all statements in support of religious freedom. In states where Catholics are in the minority, they have the right to public worship. In states where others faiths are in the minority, they have no right to public worship because only the true faith has the right to public worship.

The Declaration on Religious Freedom signified a complete reversal of the Catholic Church's former attitude to toleration and announced its adherence to religious freedom as a universal principle, contemporary obligation and necessity. Fiercely debated and meeting with considerable resistance from some Vatican officials and a number of bishops, it states, "the human person has a right to religious freedom." It asserts that all men are to be immune from coercion by individuals, social groups, or any human power, so that "In matters religious no one is forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs. Nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits." Furthermore, "the right of parents are violated, if their children are forced to attend lessons or instructions which are not in agreement with their religious beliefs."

The Declaration also acknowledged that the Church had acted at times in ways "which were less in accord with the gospel and even opposed to it," but does not express any contrition or apology for the Church's record of religious persecution.

Probably most noticeable to many Catholics in the first forty years following the Second Vatican Council were things like the Sacred Eucharist and various sacraments being celebrated in the vernacular, the priest facing the people, and a HUGE drop in the participation in the sacrament of Confession, while, at the same time, a HUGE increase in people going to Holy Communion every Sunday. None of these things were a result of the Council at all. As far as vernacular is concerned the Council asked for a very restricted use of the vernacular in the Mass (The use of the Latin language, with due respect to particular law {the Eastern Rites}, is to be preserved in the Latin rites. . . . however . . . a wider use may be made of it, especially in readings, directives and in some prayers and chants." The Council NEVER called for the priest to face the people, and the Council certainly never recommended that people receive Holy Communion while not in a state of grace, while neglecting the Sacrament of Confession.

The Council did call for an increase in ecumenism, particularly with regard to our separated brethren in the East who still maintain the priesthood and the sacraments.

Anther answer from our community:

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The main difference between the Second Vatican Council and the twenty ecumenical councils that preceded it is the the first twenty councils were always primarily concerned with doctrinal concerns and with pastoral concerns secondarily. I believe all of the previous councils had been called to deal with particular heresies that had arisen, from the First Council of Nicaea which dealt with Arianism to the Council of Trent with dealt with protestantism, I'm not sure about the First Vatican Council. The Second Vatican Council, however, dealt with no doctrinal issues whatsoever and was not called because of any problems with heresies but was primarily a pastoral council. Blessed Pope John XXIII called the Council to deal with updating or making the Church more sensitive to the issues in the modern world. Unlike the previous Councils which settled heresies, the Church had to deal with a number of heresies that arose after the Council.

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Baptism is a sacrament of the Church. It has been dogmatically and doctrinally defined long ago. No "changes" to baptism occurred, to my knowledge and investigation. This includes but is not limited to, questions regarding the position of the Church as pertains to Protestant baptisms, ceremonial rite, regenerative nature, form and intent. ARTICLE 1

THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift. . . .We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; gracesince it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship. St. Gregory Of Nazianzus, Oratio 40, 3-4: PG 36, 361C. == The reforms that came out of Vatican II radically changed the ceremonies surrounding baptism. Firstly, they suspended the exorcism that took place before the baptism. This exorcism involved two anointings with holy oils, the imitation of Christ's ceremonial use of saliva (here replicated by the priest), the placing of salt upon the tongue, symbolizing both wisdom and preservation from sin, and the procession to the baptistry. It was often common to consecrate the child/baptized to the Virgin Mary after the ceremony, this custom has fallen into obscurity except in local cultures and among conservative parishes. As well, it is now only required that one godparent be Catholic, a very strange compromise in light of the purpose of godparents. As well, the entire orientation of the sacrament has changed. While it's effect remains intact, much of the ceremony and ritual has been stripped away in the modern rite and the emphasis put upon preaching and the symbolism of joining the Faith community. The old rite put the emphasis on the rituals and the effect of the sacrament, not only as the passage to Christian fellowship but also as a combative rite against original sin and sin in general.