The reception of the Second Vatican Council’s vision of the lay apostolate within the Archdiocese of Hobart, Australia (1955–99)

The aim of this thesis is to explore, synthesize, and reflect ecclesiologically upon the history of the reception and implementation of the Second Vatican Council’s vision of the lay apostolate within the Archdiocese of Hobart, Australia, focusing on the episcopacies of Archbishops Guilford Young and Eric D’Arcy (1955–99). Young became Archbishop of Hobart in 1955. He attended the Council and was an active member of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) and the Consilium responsible for the implementation of the Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium. For Young, this text promulgated a principle of adaptation applicable to areas of church life and mission beyond worship, including the lay apostolate. After Vatican II, he promoted a renewed appreciation for the dignity, equality, and shared responsibilities of the laity within the Archdiocese of Hobart. Amongst other conciliar documents, he was directly inspired by the Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes. During Young’s episcopacy, the reception and implementation of the Second Vatican Council’s teachings unfolded in two stages: 1) a period of structural reform which expanded opportunities for lay participation within the life and mission of the Archdiocese of Hobart (1964–81); 2) and a period of research and consultation in response to pastoral concerns (1981–88), which resulted in the calling together of a Priests’ Assembly (1984) and Diocesan Assembly (1986), and ended with the death of Young in 1988. Eric D’Arcy became Archbishop of Hobart in 1988. He sought to address the desire for renewal built-up in the previous decade by implementing a pastoral programme entitled “Renew” (1990–92), which encouraged lay Catholics to meet in groups amongst parishes and discuss their faith. During his episcopacy (1988–99), two movements emerged which promoted ecclesial paradigms and practices inspired by nostalgia for a pre-conciliar church of the past. 1) Catholics from Victoria organised protests against “Renew,” seemingly dissatisfied with the status of the Catholic Church in Australia since the implementation of post-conciliar reforms. 2) The reintroduction of the Latin rite during the 1990s became a point of tension within the Archdiocese of Hobart. Tensions and divisions between priests and laity continued to develop. A report drafted after dialogue groups were held amongst parishioners at the end of D’Arcy’s episcopacy (1999), recorded concerns that the archdiocese had moved away from conciliar teachings which envisioned the church as a pilgrim people. In conclusion, Young’s openness to adaptation inspired by post-conciliar liturgical reform impacted many areas of the Archdiocese of Hobart, including the lay apostolate. By contrast, D’Arcy’s episcopacy witnessed the emergence of two movements which either downplayed or directly opposed liturgical innovation and lay participation. In these instances, the concept of adaptation was either ignored or rejected.