Discontinuity Within a Greater Continuity

Pope Benedict gave us the exact key in which to understand the event of the Vatican II Council: "discontinuity within a greater continuity." This is a key to more than that council: it is the key to Church history and indeed Salvation History. The "greater continuity" is God's love, his covenant with Abraham that was renewed and enhanced with Moses, David and then fulfilled in Christ. The Church is in the habit of praying the canticle of Zechariah in the morning and the Magnificat of Mary in the evening. Each announces a surprising fulfillment of the earlier promise: a startling, serendipitous climax that perfectly accomplishes the earlier promise. "This was the oath that he swore to our father Abraham" and "he has come to the aid of Israel his servant, being mindful of his covenant, the promise that he made to Abraham and to his seed forever." There is a seamless coherence in God's work even as it is, every day, new, startling, and thrilling. So, our "maverick" new pope can only be understood as standing upon his two predecessors; who were themselves really a single-if-dual pontificate; as they emulated and developed the work of John and Paul; who were already rooted in Pius XII; and so forth. What a splendid Mystery is the Church: steady, rooted, eternal; and yet ever fresh, new and original!