Aggiornamento and the American catholic bishops: A rhetoric of institutional continuity and change

Abstract

Analysis of 140 pastoral letters issued by U.S. Catholic bishops before, during, and after Vatican II suggests that doctrinal rhetoric has a tremendous capacity to endure the strains of accelerated social and institutional change. Decreased philosophical commonality in the years of Vatican II and its immediate aftermath had some impact on the way U.S. bishops developed their arguments and appeals. Yet these modifications did not change the “true believer” quality of the bishops’ rhetoric. Letters written during the second decade of reform (1972–1981) show a return to traditional doctrinal forms, suggesting that the rhetorical impact of Vatican II was quickly institutionalized in the public communication of U.S. bishops.