The Organic Structure of the Church During the Drafting of “Lumen gentium”

Abstract

The constitution Lumen gentium was to ex-pound the mystery of the Church. This text describes how the formula “organice exstructa” (LG 11/a) expresses the intention that guided the Council Fathers in the drafting of the constitution. We argue that, beyond the tensions between various ecclesiologies, throughout the conciliar sessions there was a consensus in speaking of the Church as an organically structured reality. To explain this we present in three sections some significant passages from the outlines and animadversions of the fathers. At the end, general consideratio.