'Catholic' In Vatican II: Implications for a Contemporary Ecclesiology in India

f Vatican II deserves a closer look. Among the important reasons for this is the fact the Church is qualified as ‘catholic’, and ‘catholicity’ is an essential dimension in ecclesiology. Therefore, it is an i mperat i ve t h a t we make a deeper study of this word in t he documents of Vatican II. A very large portion of this article is devoted to a s tudy of the usage o f ‘catholic’ and ‘catho­ licity’ in Vatican II, and t h en drawing out t hei r im­ plications for a contemporary ecclesiology in India. The Catholicity of the Church is indicated by the acceptance and fostering of genuine diversity and plurality. This has important lessons and consequences for the local churches in India, as also for the contribution of the local churches of India to local churches outside India. One of the important applications of Lumen Gentium has been in the field of inculturation. True ecclesial catholicity demands that at­ tempts be made to inculturate at deeper levels. This would require serious study, in-depth dialogue with knowledgeable people, great generosity, humility, courage, and most of all, total openness to the Holy Spirit