THE PROPHETIC IMPERATIVE OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL

The Second Vatican Council pointed out that the Church wants to help the human being to be able to respond to various contemporary challenges that follow the Church, the human being, and human society in general. In this contribution, the author does not aim to "teach" or to present extensively the teaching of the Council on the proposed topic; instead, he will point out concrete possibilities and ways in which Christians can act prophetically in the Church and in society. In other words, he will try to discern how the Council reminds, advises, and inspires contemporary theology, theologians, and the faithful. The first part offers a reflection on some conciliar documents on the relation between the Church and the social-political community, while the second part discusses some new directions in theology with new emphases, inspired by the conciliar teaching, that try to take more into account concrete life situations in which people live. Two examples of post-conciliar movements that are, somewhat, fruits of the "prophetic dimension" of the Second Vatican Council are given: political theology and theology of liberation. In the third part, the author reflects on the way in which the contemporary Church and its theology, inspired by the Council and post-conciliar movements, can and should be the prophetic voice in today's Church and in the world, and in which way concretely should they act in the human society. The author detects the example and role-model of Christian activity in Jesus's preaching of the Kingdom of God (Jesus's praxis) and in Jesus's condemnation and death that have social-political characteristics. On the basis of that, in the final part the author discusses social-political implications of these events in the Christian life and activity.