When bishops meet : an essay comparing Trent, Vatican I, and Vatican II
(Book)

Includes index.

Catholic councils are meetings of bishops. In this unprecedented comparison of the three most recent meetings, John O'Malley covers over 450 years in one volume and examines the councils' most pressing and consistent concerns: questions of purpose, power, and relevance in a changing world. By offering new, sometimes radical, even troubling perspectives on councils, When Bishops Meet provides an analysis of the evolution of the church itself. The Catholic Church today is shaped more by the historical arc starting from Trent in the sixteenth century than by Vatican II alone. The roles of popes, laymen, theologians, and others have varied from the bishop-centered Trent, to Vatican I's declaration of papal infallibility, to a new balance of power at Vatican II. At Trent, laymen had direct influence on proceedings. By Vatican II, they had only a token presence. At each gathering, fundamental issues recurred: the relationship between bishops and the papacy, debates over the purpose of a council, and the problem of change. Do the teachings of the church, by definition a conservative institution, change over time? Such a sweeping examination of councils in society has never been written before. But councils, as ecclesiastical as well as cultural institutions, have always reflected and profoundly influenced their times. Readers familiar with the works of John O'Malley, as well as those with no knowledge of councils, will find this volume indispensable, a way to access essential questions: Who is in charge of the church? What difference did the councils make, and will there be another? --,Provided by publisher.