On feast of Christ the King, Pope marks 40th anniversary of Vatican II document "Lumen Gentium"

Vatican City, Nov 21, 2004 / 22:00 pm

During the Angelus in Saint Peter’s Square yesterday, the solemnity of Christ the King,  Pope John Paul II recalled that it was the 40th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council document Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church.

"November 21, forty years ago,” recalled the Pope, “the Fathers of Vatican Council II promulgated the Dogmatic Constitution that starts with the words' Lumen gentium com sit Christus,' 'Christ is the light of humanity'.

He said that “Lumen Gentium marked a milestone in the Church's journey on the streets of the contemporary world and stimulated the People of God to assume with ever greater decision their responsibilities in building the Kingdom of Christ which will have its complete fulfilment only outside of history."

"Making the Gospel alive in the temporal order is, in fact, the duty of every baptized person, in particular the lay faithful,” he continued.

He noted that “a useful aid for this mission is the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, published this year by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, to whom I once again express my gratitude."

"All human activity, to reach its goal, must be supported by prayer," said the Holy Father, and asked the faithful "to give spiritual and material support to our sisters and brothers" in the contemplative life.