Benediktova "reforma v kontinuiteti" in slovenska refleksija drugega vatikanskega koncila
Benedict’s "reform in continuity" and the Slovenian reflection of the Second Vatican Council

slovenian

2025

volume 80, issue 2

Benedict XVI   dialogue within the Catholic Church   hermeneutics of reform in continuity   Second Vatican Council   Slovenian reflection on the Second Vatican Council

Univerza v Ljubljani, Teološka fakulteta
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

The hermeneutics of the Second Vatican Council as »reform in continuity « was established by Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope judges the mentioned event in the light of conformity with previous councils and the doctrinal tradition of the Catholic Church. The first part of this article is devoted to the conceptual starting points of writing the history of the Second Vatican Council based on the derivation of Benedict’s hermeneutics, especially through the Council’s pastoral constitution Gaudium et spes and discussions of selected contemporary Roman theologians who predominantly share the Pope’s point of view. Meanwhile, the second part of the article is devoted to representative examples of the reflection of Slovenian Catholic leaders and thinkers on the purpose and consequences of the Council. Both in the consideration of the international context and the Slovenian reflection, the tension between »noble « intentions and sometimes »deviant « consequences can be reflected in the light of Benedict’s hermeneutics, which the Catholic Church has not resolved after the Council. The reception of the heritage of the Second Vatican Council therefore appears to be an unfinished process, influenced by internal divisions and the need for further dialogue within the Catholic Church itself.

20.01.2026