The Impact of the Second Vatican Council on Waugh

In order to examine the strong impact of the Second Vatican Council on Waugh, it is worthwhile to survey the history of the Council. In 1869, nearl y a century before that, the Fir st Vatican Council was held by Pope Pius IX. However, it was discontinued without any clear declaration in 1870 as an Italian arm y occupied Rome during the Franco -Prussian War. In 1962 the Second Vatican Council, the twent y -first ecumenical counci l of the Roman Catholic Church, began under the leadership of Pope John XXIII.

He had already announced the intention to hold the council in 1959, and had prepared the agenda. The council continued for more than three years, from October 1962 until it was closed by Pope Paul VI in December 1965.

The Second Council mainl y dealt with those matters which were left undiscussed at the First Council. The Second Vatican Council summoned participants from Catholic churches worldwide, and invited a number of observers from other Christian churches and communities. Among delegate -observers were representatives of major Protestant denominations, “in itself a sign of sweeping change ” (Bowman 166). Many Catholic auditors were also invited. This ecumenical council was intended as a means of spir itual renewal for the Church, and as an occasion for Christians separated from Rome to join in a search for reunion (“Vatican Council, Second ”).

The progress of the Council with numerous agenda heavil y depressed Waugh. The discussions of the Council were c oncerned with ecclesiology, liturgy, scripture, the role of bishops, and so on. Based on ecumenism as

the Council ’s motto, the Council was directed toward making the Roman Catholic Church more open to the outside world, with more conversation and cooperation among the various denominations. The Council justified changing aspects of Catholic thought and practice which had been defensive and inflexible for a long time. Also, it encouraged the further participation of the lait y in the activities of the Church. One of the most important

agendas which had a direct effect on believers ’ lives was the liturgy. The Council recommended changes in ceremonial matters: f or instance,

admitting the use of vernacular languages into the Mass, which had

previousl y been standardized in Latin all over the world (“Vatican Council, Second”). What depressed Waugh most was the progress of the Council toward these changes.

Since one important aim of these changes in the Council was to hasten greater participation of the lay persons in the ritual, it was expected that considerable changes would happen in their lives. Waugh ’s journal essay entitled “The Same Again, Please ” (1962) harshl y attacks these changes while they were still being discussed in the Council:

As the service proceeded in its familiar way I wondered how many of us wanted to see any change. The church is rather dark.

The priest stood rather far away. His voice was not clear and the language he spoke was not that of everyday use. This was the Mass for whose restoration the Elizabethan mart yrs had gone to the scaffold. (EAR 606)

Waugh especiall y protests against the use of vernacular language in the

Mass, asserting a s follows:

I think it highl y doubtful whether the average churchgoer either needs or desires to have complete intellectual, verbal

comprehension of all that is said. . . . In most of the historic Churches the act of consecration takes place behind curtain s or doors. The idea of crowding round the priest and watching all he does is quite alien there. It cannot be pure coincidence that so many independent bodies should all have evolved in just the same way. Awe is the natural predisposition to prayer. . . . (EAR 608)

For Waugh, awe is a more important element in the Mass than easy understanding. He also writes a frank opinion about Mass to one of his acquaintance on 15 March 1963.

I should feel joll y shy dancing & I feel shy praying out loud.

Every parish m ight have one rowdy Mass a Sunday for those who like it. But there should be silent ones for those who like quiet.

(LEW 680)

These remarks show that Waugh strongly wishe s for the continuance of the liturgy as it had been observed throughout the long history of Catholicism.

As his view on religion, Waugh states clearl y that the essential role of Christianit y lies in preserving civilization. He also emphasizes that the Roman Catholic Church expresses the complete form of Christianit y. His

view is clearl y stated in an essay, “Converted to Rome: Why It Has

Happened to Me, ” which he wrote soon after he converted to Catholicism in October 1930. Concerning the role of Christia nit y, he writes as follows:

It seems to me that in the present phase of European history the essential issue is no longer between Catholicism, on one side, and Protestantism, on the other, but between Christianit y and Chaos. It is much the same situation as existed in the earl y Middle Ages. . . . Civilization . . . has not in itself the power of survival. It came into being through Christianit y, and without it has no significance or power to command allegiance. (EAR 103-04)

Then, on the completeness in religion, he states that “Christianit y exists in its most complete and vital form in the Roman Catholic Church, ” (EAR 104). Further, he adds that the completeness and vitalit y in religion requires that “its teaching shall be coherent and consistent ” (EAR 104).

For Waugh, coherence and consistency are the essential conditions of a religious organization. Completeness, vitalit y, and consistency should be united in a faith, and the Roman Catholic Church definitel y embodies this unification. Waugh maintains th is idea in his novels. In an extension of this idea, there is the heroic prayer, which he conceives in Helena and links to the people during and after the Second World War in the Sword of Honour trilogy.

The change in policy du e to the Second Vatican Council must have been extremel y depressing to Waugh, who had a high regard for the

consistency of the Church. Thomas J. Brennan points out that Waugh ’s letters in this period are filled with the fear that he might be abandoned by the Church (74 -75). Furthermore, contrary to his expectation, Waugh f inds that the clergym en around him ha ve a more detached attitude to the

direction that the Council is taking than he d oes, which makes Waugh’s mental state even more depressed (75). Hastings comments that “[h]is [Waugh’s] grief over the Church weighed crushingl y on him, the vast brocade disintegrating before his eyes as the measures prescribed by the Council in Rome began to make themselves felt ” (622). Brennan’s remarks show that Waugh’s shock was by far conspicuous, while Hasting ’s

comments show that Waugh ’s mental condition was reaching the limits of endurance. This Council seems to have dealt a devastating blow to his

mental condition, in addition to Waugh ’s unstable physical condition at this time.