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            Three major themes characterizing the thinking of the Second Vatican Council offer a key to the renewal it envisaged: an ecclesiology of "communio" and of the "People of God"; a philosophy of "Christian personalism" which emphasizes the personal dignity, rights and duties of each member of Christ's faithful; a spirit of "diakonia" or service as distinguishing the call to follow Christ, and especially the vocation of his ordained ministers. It is important to see the harmony and interaction between these three concepts: communion, personalism, service.

St. Augustine and Conjugal Sexuality[1]
No one has ever questioned the extraordinary quality of St. Augustine's mind. Some, however, consider that mind to have been stained by a pessimistic streak, especially with regard to sexuality; and they feel that Augustine's subsequent influence - proportionate to the quality of his mind - has left the Church's thought burdened, right down to our days, with a negative and defective ethic on sexuality and marriage.

Summary: Sacramentality: an element or property of marriage? - Baptism: the basis for the sacramentality of marriage - The rite of sacramental marriage - Ministers and recipients - The intention required - The intention of doing what the Church does/intends - The importance of faith - Faith and fruit - The 1977 documents of the International Theological Commission - Separability - Conclusion

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A strong case can be made for holding that Chapter Five of Lumen Gentium presents the most important and innovative, and even the most revolutionary doctrine of the Second Vatican Council.  Under the title of "The Universal Call to Holiness", a totally personalized message is presented to each member of the Church.  Each in effect, whatever his or her position in life, is called to sanctity, to the fullness of friendship and intimacy with God.  To help each one become truly aware of what this implies and to help each to see and use the ways and means of responding effectively to this personal call from God, remains a top priority in the ongoing work of ecclesial renewal.