The Inside Story of Vatican II: A Firsthand Account of the Council’s Inner Workings

208 Pages·2014·2.01 MB·English

by  Ralph Wiltgen

THE TITLE OF THIS BOOK
[Editor’s note: The original title of this book was The Rhine Flows Into the Tiber: A History of
Vatican II. On this page and in the “Author’s Preface,” the author’s references to the book by its
original title have been retained.]
The title of this book captures a key insight which emerges from its pages. The largest and most
influential group at the Council was made up of Council Fathers and periti (experts) from
countries along the Rhine River—Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands—and
from nearby Belgium. This “European Alliance” is represented in the title by “The Rhine,” while
“The Tiber” stands for Vatican Council II itself, which was held in St. Peter’s Basilica in the
immediate vicinity of the Tiber. Thus, the title neatly sums up the fact that the Fathers from the
Rhine countries exercised a predominating influence on the Second Vatican Council.

Gall Higgins, O.F.M. Cap.
Nihil Obstat:
Censor Librorum
Terence J. Cooke, D.D., V.G.
Imprimatur: New York, N.Y.
December 15, 1966
The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of
doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the
Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions or statements expressed.
Copyright © 1967 by Rev. Ralph M. Wiltgen, S.V.D. Edition with new Preface copyright ©
1978 by Rev. Ralph M. Wiltgen, S.V.D.
This book was first published in 1967 by Hawthorne Books in New York, New York, under the
title The Rhine Flows Into the Tiber: A History of Vatican II. The “Author’s Preface” was added
in a 1978 edition by Augustine Publishing Company in Devon, England. The 1978 edition was
reprinted in 1985 by TAN Books. This new TAN revised edition has been re-typeset with minor
updates and corrections and a new “Publisher’s Note.”
“Publisher’s Note” by Robert M. Gallagher copyright © 2014 by TAN Books.
All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical reviews, no
part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or
electronic, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by Caroline Kiser
Cover image: Old Key ©iStockphoto.com/earnang
ISBN: 978-1-61890-640-3
Cataloging-in-Publication data on file with the Library of Congress
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
TAN Books
Charlotte, North Carolina
www.TANBooks.com
2014
DEDICATION
In gratitude
to
Michael and Martha Wiltgen of Chicago
my father and mother
It is clear that the history of this Council will have to be written according to the best
approved norms laid down for historians by the ancient writers. The first of these is: “Do not
dare to say anything false, and at the same time do not dare to keep back the truth. Let there be
nothing in what you write that arouses suspicions of favoritism or animosity” (Cicero, Or. 11,
15).
Pope Paul VI
January 31, 1966
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
The time is right for The Inside Story of Vatican II, a new edition of the book formerly titled The
Rhine Flows into the Tiber, by Rev. Ralph M. Wiltgen. Although some who wish to discredit the
Council have pointed to its words in support of what they believe went wrong with Vatican II,
the author had no such intention. Much like the Council itself, this book has been misinterpreted
far too often. It is time to set the record straight.
The Inside Story of Vatican II is Catholic at its core, and it should be reclaimed as such. The
author, Rev. Ralph M. Wiltgen, was a supporter of Vatican II and of the Holy Fathers seated in
Rome in his lifetime. The imprimatur was given to the book by none other than Cardinal Terence
J. Cooke, known for his enthusiastic support of the Council.
Wiltgen’s eyewitness account does provide details of the strategies, plots, divisions, rumors,
secret conversations, and dramas that occurred among the Council Fathers. Nevertheless,
Wiltgen believed that his book demonstrates how the Holy Spirit mysteriously worked within the
Council to bring about what God desired from His Church.
This valuable inside look at the Council is solidly journalistic. Praised for its frankness and
objectivity, The Inside Story of Vatican II offers an intriguing account of what happened during
the Council, with minimal interpretation by the author. It is a resource like no other, allowing the
reader to feel like an eyewitness himself.
We hope our readers will use this new edition to deepen their understanding of the Church
and her history. As the beauty of the Council is regaining notice, and as old misunderstandings
are overcome, much of the folly we have endured is fading away, and the dissenters are being
exposed for their lack of faith. We trust you will discover for yourself the inside story of Vatican
II, and the working of the Holy Spirit within it.
One overlooked victory of the Council was the official recognition that Mary is the Mother
of the Church, Mater Ecclesiae. In becoming the Mother of the Head, she became the Mother of
the whole Body of Christ. Our prayer is that the Mother of the Church will lead all souls,
especially those who have fallen away, back into the true fold of her Divine Son.
— The Publisher
AUTHOR’S PREFACE
Reviewers have summarized The Rhine Flows into the Tiber as follows: It tells the story of
Vatican II from beginning to end, reducing four years of conciliar debate to a few hundred pages
and correlating it to outside meetings and actions … it describes how each of the 16 conciliar
documents was painstakingly hammered out … it leaves the reader with an overwhelming
impression of the tangible operation of the Holy Spirit in the Council … and it brings to light
how the Council’s activity, contrary to what other books have said, was guided constantly by
groups rather than by individuals.
This last point explains why my book repeatedly has been cited publicly by those who
charge that the Council’s 16 documents have been vitiated, even invalidated, by pressure groups.
Apparently not everyone is aware that the formation of thought groups in Vatican II was as
natural a process as it is in any other legislative assembly. With 2,150 Council Fathers from all
parts of the world in attendance, it was inconceivable that all should propose identical
amendments for every item on the agenda. It was likewise inconceivable that each of the 2,150
Council Fathers would propose amendments completely different from everybody else’s.
The natural outcome was the formation of thought groups, and even the smallest of these
had an impact on the formulation of texts about which it showed particular concern. These
groups gave life and fire to the Council, and one wonders whether anything could have been
accomplished at all without them. They were like so many separate committees busily engaged
in formulating and amending Council texts in a way which they judged best for the overall
interests of the Church. And because one group did not always accept the ideas of the other,
conflict arose. Except for a few instances of papal intervention, however, harmony was
eventually restored through the use of normal legislative processes.
The largest and most influential group of all was made up of Council Fathers and periti (or
experts) from countries along the Rhine river—Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, the
Netherlands—and from nearby Belgium. Because this group exerted a predominant influence
over the Second Vatican Council, I have titled my book The Rhine Flows into the Tiber. The
“Tiber” stands for the Vatican Council, which was held in St. Peter’s Basilica in the immediate
vicinity of the Tiber. This title was suggested by correspondent George Weller after my
manuscript had been completed. He took the idea from Juvenal (A.D. 60–140), a Roman poet
who said that the Orontes river of Syria had flowed into the Tiber (cf. Satire III, lines 58ff.). By
this Juvenal meant that Greek influence from Antioch—the Orontes flowed through Antioch—
was having an impact on Rome.
The internationally renowned theologian Father Yves Congar, O.P., discussed this thesis in
1977 in Revue des Sciences Philosophiques et Théologiques (Paris). He said: “Father Wiltgen …
was remarkably well informed and his report, which shows the unfolding of the entire Council, is
full of precise details…. In short, the Rhine was in reality that broad current of vigorous Catholic
theology and pastoral science which had got under way in the early 1950s and, with regard to
liturgical matters and biblical sources, even earlier than that.” In 1967, Cross and Crown
(Chicago) had said in its review of my book: “To point to such influence is not to claim
conspiracy against Rome; it is to recognize influences which readers familiar with recent
theology can find in the conciliar documents.”
For writing this history I have had access to a complete set of all official correspondence,
documents and working papers received by the Council Fathers from the Council’s secretariat. I
had access to all correspondence and documentation sent by the Rhine group to its members as
well as additional documentation from other groups and episcopal conferences, the minutes of
meetings, private correspondence, etc. I also met and interviewed numberless Council Fathers
and periti as director of an independent and multilingual Council news service with over 3,000
subscribers in 108 countries. Being based in Rome, I could see the entire Council unfold before
my eyes. What I saw and what I heard, and the facts that I ferreted out, I now pass on to you.
Let me assure you that The Rhine Flows into the Tiber is completely different from any
other history of Vatican II. I sincerely hope that you enjoy it and that it makes the Second
Vatican Council come alive for you.
Rev. Dr. R. M. Wiltgen, S.V.D.
December 8, 1977
CONTENTS
Publisher’s Note
Author’s Preface
THE FIRST SESSION October 11 – December 8, 1962
A Leap Forward
The European Alliance
Third Victory
Sacred Liturgy
The Press and Secrecy
The Mission Viewpoint on the Liturgy
“The Christian Life Is Not a Collection of Ancient Customs”
Updating Liturgical Practices—Some Underlying Issues
Deadlock and Solution
In Search of Unity
What the First Session Achieved
THE SECOND SESSION September 29 – December 4, 1963
Preparing for the Second Session
The Mechanics of the Liturgical Commission
The Last Months of Pope John’s Life
A Secretariat for Non-Christian Religions
The Fulda Conference and Its Implications
Opening the Second Session
The Schema on the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Diaconate
The Laity
Religious Orders and the Universal Vocation to Sanctity
The Roman Curia under Fire: Schema on Bishops and the Government of Dioceses
Collegiality
Observer-Delegates and Guests
World Alliance
Adoption of the Schema on Communications Media
Adoption of the Schema on the Liturgy, and Its Implementation
THE THIRD SESSION September 14 – November 21, 1964
Speed Is of the Essence
Organized Opposition