8.265. Is there a contradiction between Vatican II’s teaching that the Church is the “People of God” and the traditional Catholic doctrine that the Church is a visible, hierarchical, perfect society?
Yes. Vatican II’s description of the Church as “the People of God” introduces ambiguity and departs from the precise, traditional definition of the Church as a visible, hierarchical, perfect society founded by Christ. The true Catholic doctrine, upheld by the Council of Trent, Vatican I, and countless popes, teaches that the Church is a supernatural society, both visible and spiritual, governed by the Roman Pontiff and the bishops in union with him.
By contrast, Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium §§9–13 centers the identity of the Church on a horizontal, communal model—"People of God"—which, although scriptural in origin, is vague in its application and blurs the essential hierarchical structure and authority of the Church. This redefinition has fueled the errors of collegiality, democracy, synodality, and ecumenism.
1. Traditional Teaching: The Church as a Perfect Society
“The Church is a society of men united together for the purpose of attaining holiness under the authority of the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops in communion with him.”
“The Church is a society of men united together for the purpose of attaining holiness under the authority of the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops in communion with him.”
The Council of Trent taught that the Church is a visible, hierarchical institution established by Christ for the salvation of souls.
St. Robert Bellarmine defined the Church as the congregation of men united in the profession of the same faith and the communion of the same sacraments under the lawful pastors.
This doctrine upholds that the Church is both human and divine, visible and invisible, militant and triumphant, but always a structured body with Christ as its Head.
2. Vatican II’s Innovation: The People of God
“At all times and in every race God has given welcome to whosoever fears Him and does what is right. God, however, does not make men holy and save them merely as individuals... Rather has it pleased Him to bring men together as one people.”
Vatican II, Lumen Gentium §13 emphasizes diversity, mutual respect, and shared dignity among all baptized persons, suggesting that the Church consists in communal belonging more than hierarchical unity.
While the concept of the Church as the “People of God” can be used in a Catholic sense, Vatican II uses it as a centerpiece for a horizontal ecclesiology that downplays the essential distinctions between clergy and laity, between the Catholic Church and heretical sects, and between divine authority and communal consensus.
3. Effects and Consequences
Erosion of Authority: Emphasis on the “People of God” has encouraged lay-led movements, dissent against doctrinal authority, and democratic tendencies within the Church.
Ecumenical Confusion: The term is often extended to Protestants and non-Catholics, undermining the necessity of visible membership in the Catholic Church.
Synodality: Pope Francis’ synodal reforms build on this model, equating the sensus fidelium with magisterial authority.
Loss of Visibility: The clear, juridical boundaries of the Church are replaced with vague and fluid notions of spiritual belonging.
This change has contributed to the disintegration of Catholic identity and discipline since Vatican II.
| Category | Traditional Teaching | Vatican II – Lumen Gentium | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of the Church | Perfect, visible, hierarchical society | Described as the “People of God” | Vague term promotes egalitarian, communal model |
| Governance | Supreme Pontiff and bishops govern with divine authority | Authority appears to arise from the people | Undermines hierarchical structure and divine origin |
| Membership | Those baptized, professing the faith, under lawful pastors | Broadly includes all baptized, including heretics | Leads to ecumenical confusion |
| Clergy vs. Laity | Clear hierarchical distinction, ordained clergy lead | Emphasis on shared dignity, blurred roles | Laity encouraged to assume clerical functions |
| Doctrinal Clarity | Precise scholastic definitions (e.g., Bellarmine) | Ambiguous sociological language | Opens door to doctrinal and pastoral confusion |
Summary:
Vatican II’s redefinition of the Church as the “People of God” replaces the clear, hierarchical, and juridical identity of the Church with a vague, sociological concept. While the term has scriptural origins, its use in Lumen Gentium and subsequent documents shifts the focus from the divine constitution of the “Church” to a horizontal, communal model in which authority is seen as emerging from the baptized community rather than descending from Christ through apostolic succession.
This shift paved the way for liturgical, doctrinal, and disciplinary confusion. It has encouraged lay empowerment at the expense of clerical authority, blurred the line between the “Church” and schismatic sects, and supported ecumenical endeavors that deny the necessity of visible unity with the Catholic Church.
The Church, as defined by Christ and expounded by the pre-Vatican II Magisterium, is a visible, hierarchical society founded for the salvation of souls. The concept of the “People of God,” as used by Vatican II, obscures this truth and contributes to the rise of the counterfeit Vatican II sect—which is not the Catholic Church but a man-made structure promoting modernist errors under the guise of renewal.
Faithful Catholics must reject these innovations and return to the clarity and firmness of traditional ecclesiology. The true Church is not a democratic assembly of believers, but the Mystical Body of Christ, governed by lawful pastors with divine authority, and clearly distinguishable from all false religions and sects.