Opatrzność Boża w nauczaniu soboru watykańskiego II

Abstract

The article discusses the notion of Divine Providence as used in the documents of the Second Vatican Council. The research was made on the basis of the Acta et documenta and Acta synodalia of the Vatican II which alow one to follow the development of the texts referring to the Divine Providence. The first conclusion is that many of the references to the Divine Providence were added during the discussions on the schemes (schemata) of the documents. This fact indicates that theology should pay more attention to this truth of faith than it does it in nowadays. The second conclusion is that the notion of Divine Providence contains the history of salvation and God’s activity in the world after the accomplishment of the salvific work. The majority of texts referring to the Divine Providence use the notion in the latter meaning, as, for egsample, in the statement of the “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modem World”: “The Spirit of God, who, with wondrous providence, directs the course of time and renews the face of the earth assists at this development [of the social order]” (No. 26).