Second Vatican Council's
documents to be examined
On the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, Scranton-area parishes kicked off a lecture series that will dissect all 16 Vatican council documents.
On Sunday at Mary, Mother of God Parish, Holy Rosary Church, the Rev. Phil Altavilla, the pastor of the Cathedral of St. Peter, and Rabbi Joe Mendelsohn examined the church's relationship between the Church and non-Christian religions, such as the Jewish and Islamic religions.
"Vatican II marks the commitment of the Catholic Church to live in a religiously pluralist world with an attitude of humility, respect and mutual esteem," the Rev. Altavilla said. "By affirming the many values that are shared by the church and non-Christian religions, the council gives expression to the church's desire to be an agent of peace and reconciliation in the world."
Rabbi Mendelsohn agreed with most of the Rev. Altavilla's suggestions but said more information needs to be made available so that everyone can understand each other better.
Sitting in the front pew, the Rev. Cyril Edwards of Holy Rosary Church watched the two speakers attentively, hoping the first part of the series he spearheaded would provide valuable information to the dozens gathered.
"This is important because it's a lot of history we are focusing on in this series," the Rev. Edwards said. "I think tonight went extremely well."
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