Abstract

The notion of the pastoral is at the heart of C. Theobald’s reflection on Vatican II, a council which has been characterized as a “pastoral council”. For Theobald, the pastoral, in the very act of proclamation, implies that the audience ought to be taken into account. This article attempts to trace this reception-critical concern back to its source using two biographies and the discussion on religious freedom which took place in the Central Preparatory Commission. Before Vatican II even opened, A. Roncalli, Y. Congar, a prominent figure in theological circles, along with a considerable number of bishops, promoted the idea that it is essential to take the intended audience into account as one composes any given (theological) statement ; a requirement that would later become a hallmark of Vatican II.