The Pneumatology of the Second Vatican Council

The pneumatology of the Second Vatican Council was among the Questiones disputatae between Orthodox, Protestants and Catholics theologians after the Council. Now that this generation has faded, it is important to draw up a new balance sheet. To do this, it is not enough to count the number of occurrences of the term Holy Spirit in the conciliar text, but to see if the recourse to the Holy Spirit determines the theological perspective adopted by the Council and intervenes at strategic points in the argumentation. A new examination of the question leads to the identification of three areas where conciliar pneumatology plays an important role in ecclesiology: the Holy Spirit is The Holy Spirit co-established the Church; He promotes at the same time unity and diversity, so that unity can only be conceived as "Catholic unity". Finally, His gifts, given to all the baptized, founds the participation of all the faithful in the life of the Church. Not only the Holy Spirit dwells in the Church as in His Temple, but He fills the universe and precedes and surpasses the action of the Church. In conclusion, this essay underlines the fact that post conciliar developments on crucial questions, such as the theology of ministries, reflection on the sensus fidei and synodality are dependent on the foundations laid by Vatican II. Furthermore, the theology of mission and the theology of religions would not have known such developments without the conciliar reflection on the role of the Holy Spirit in the world and beyond the borders of the Church.