Religion: Council of Renewal

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∙ RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. The church teaches that "error has no rights"; it also teaches that erring men, as sons of God, do have inalienable privileges. At the strong urging of U.S. bishops, the council may adopt a formal statement that all men in all countries have an inherent right to worship God as they believe. The declaration will be strongly opposed by many prelates in Spain. Italy and Latin America, who are still reluctant to give full freedom to Protestant missions.

∙ THE LAITY. In the past, church leaders have tended to think of the layman simply as someone who was neither a monk nor a cleric; only three items in canon law specifically apply to the ordinary churchgoer. The council is almost certain to upgrade the status of the faithful by defining their place in their church, make suggestions on how the lay apostolate can fulfill the mission of Christ's church in the world. But the council is likely to reject proposals that laymen be allowed to elect their bishops, or that the Pope constitute a lay senate comparable to the College of Cardinals.

∙ MARRIED DEACONATE. In the early church, much administrative, clerical and charitable work was handled by deacons rather than priests. Missionary bishops, who are short of clergy, are eager to see the deaconate restored to use. Members of this order of clergy would be allowed to marry and hold down fulltime jobs, could keep the faith alive in priest-poor dioceses by baptizing, teaching catechism, conducting some services, such as benediction. They would have the privilege of distributing Communion, but could not celebrate Mass or hear confessions.

∙ DECENTRALIZATION. More than half of the bishops outside of Italy who responded to the request for agenda items asked that the Curia and the Vatican bureaucracy be made more representative of the church at large, rather than remain a private fief for Italians. The council may also provide more freedom for individual bishops, or national councils of bishops, to handle matters that until now have to be bucked on to Rome. Some Catholic radicals have suggested that the church impose a retirement age for all prelates except the Pope, abolish the medieval vestments, titles and privileges (such as rings that Catholics kneel to kiss) that accompany the rank of bishop. Most bishops are unimpressed by the necessity of such sacrifice.

∙ DOGMA. Mexican and Canadian bishops are believed to be ready to lobby for a dogma of the church—that Mary the mother of Christ is the mediatrix of all God's grace to man. But a majority of the prelates seem sure that such a doctrine is not "mature" in the mind of the church. Besides, notes one associate of the Pope, "It is not necessary to propose new doctrines which might disturb Protestants and Eastern Christians. We say 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph,' and people think this is some sort of Catholic trinity. This does not presume the right proportion.''

Clash at the Council. World hopes for Vatican II reached their peak right after Pope John announced that he would summon a council whose aims were the renewal of the church and the union of Christianity. Expectations, in Protestant and Orthodox circles, dropped notably after it was made clear that