Gerard Philips (1899-1972) was an excellent theologian of Louvain but, above all, a protagonist of the Second Vatican Council. To his faith, his wisdom, his work, his knowledge of languages and people, we owe much of the work that led to the approval of the Dogmatic Constitution of Vatican II. Lumen Gentium as the drafting of this document, the most important of the Council.
–Juan Luis Lorda
"It may seem a bit strange to write, during a spiritual retreat, a memoir about the Council. But it does not seem to me a deviation (perhaps I am deluded). Because in this story, it is God who shows the way, an extraordinary and sometimes inexplicable way.". This is how Gerard Philips records his impressions, experiences and memories on April 10, 1963, in personal notes that will be published posthumously in 2005 (Conciliation cardsPeeters, Leuven 2006, 94-95).
A challenging task
"When I pray, it seems clear to me that we all have to raise our eyes to Him, I mean, to take the risk of looking at Him without conditions, simply; [...] with the right will to use our intelligence and not to spare ourselves any work and, perhaps first, to be receptive and patient, without becoming tense.". The next day he writes that he tries to understand each position well, not to offend anyone, and that everyone can feel reflected in the text. But it is not a work of compromise, but he achieves this, on the one hand, by going deeply into the doctrine and making an effort to substantiate and express the ideas very well; and, on the other hand, by devoting much time and affection to listen to and explain himself to those who might feel uncomfortable. This welcoming commitment will also be the will of Paul VI, who will achieve the approval of the documents with very large majorities, ninety percent of the bishops.
Philips, for example, gained the confidence of Father Tromp, a great figure of the Gregorian University (author of Mystici Corporis) and main inspirer of the preparatory document on the Church, which had been rejected as too scholastic, thus leaving him in a snubbed position (to tears, Philips recalls). He also overcame the initial strong reluctance of Cardinal Ottaviani, prefect of the Holy Office and thus responsible for the withdrawn preparatory documents. Philips, who is a man of faith, knows how to appreciate the love for the Church of these men, even if their theology has been overtaken by the great renewal of inspirations during the first half of the 20th century.
This, and the fact that he is a great Latinist, makes him an indispensable expert. In the Council Journal Congar, the references are multiplying: "Msr. Philips' temperament is admirable, aided by a perfect command of Latin. He has a remarkable grace, a deep amenity, which come from an inner respect for others and for truth. If everything were in his image, how well everything would go!" (7-III-1962).
Lumen Gentium
When he writes his notes, much has already happened at the Council. Philips has been working since the Preparatory Commission. And unforeseen, providential circumstances have placed him in a position he had not sought. Cardinal Suenens, now Primate of Belgium, dissatisfied with the initial approaches of the Council, asked him to draft an alternative document to the De Ecclesiawhich it then disseminates.
This puts Philips in a rather compromising situation because, on the one hand, he is part of the team that drafted with Tromp the preparatory document to be presented to the assembly (he drafted, for example, the chapter on the laity); and, on the other hand, he appears as the author of an alternative that the Preparatory Commission learns about from the outside. It was not going to be the only alternative, because the German bishops, not to be less, launched another (written by Grillmeier) with inspirations of Rahner and Ratzinger, which is based on the idea of the Church as original sacrament, but does not succeed because it is judged too complex (and with a bad Latin). However, the main inspiration will be accepted (with the soft form given by Philips) in the first number of the Constitution: "The Church is in Christ as a sacrament, that is, a sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of the unity of the whole human race.".
After the initial paralysis of the Council, with the rejection of all the documents prepared by too many scholastics, Philips' version remains as a basis for restarting the document on the Church. But only with a delicate work of making himself understood and forgiving the "betrayal" did he succeed in uniting wills. And then he carried out an enormous office work to sincerely accept all the corrections, improvements and additions suggested by the bishops. He manages to find suitable formulas for difficult issues such as the relationship between the Primacy and the collegiality of the bishops, or the criteria of belonging to the Church (to what extent non-Catholics or even non-Christians belong). And when it is decided to integrate into Lumen gentium the text on the Virgin instead of publishing it separately, he writes it himself (chapter VIII).
Other conciliar works
In addition to being a member of the subcommittee that prepares Lumen Gentiumwas elected assistant secretary of the Conciliar Commission on the Faith (December 2, 1963), which is the theological guide of the Council. He is the most executive figure and the one who talks the most with all the theologians, but he also talks with Paul VI, who sincerely appreciates him. He is called upon in the drafting of Dei Verbumon the sources of revelation, to which he contributed important clarifications. And he is considered as the person who has to homogenize and revise the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et spes).
Too much work, which he welcomes without reservation. He often repeats Non recuso laborem (no refusal of work). Until, at the beginning of the last session of the Council, with everything already prepared, a heart attack (October 25, 1965) forced him to return to Louvain. He would not be able to participate directly in the joy of reaching the end. He then reaffirmed a conviction: "We already know that God doesn't need anyone.". He did not feel indispensable. He was a man with a spiritual background who, in the midst of overwhelming work and emergencies, never failed to find time to devote to prayer and to pray the rosary, as those who lived with him testify.
From Sint Truiden to Leuven
Gerard Philips was born in 1889, in Sint Truiden (St. Trond), a Flemish Belgian town about 70 kilometers from Brussels (with a soccer team), in a very practicing Catholic family, as most of them were then in Belgium (and even more so in the Flemish area). He had another brother who was a priest, a religious sister, another married sister and the third, Roza, dedicated her life to helping him, both as a personal secretary and in household chores.
He entered the seminary of Sint Truiden in 1917, and after two years of philosophy he was sent to the Gregorian for theology (1919-1925). Among his companions was the future Cardinal Suenens, with whom he would have a long and complex relationship. Ordained in 1922, he presented a dissertation for the newly created degree of "Master of Theology" on The raison d'être of evil according to St. Augustine (1925). Back in his diocese, he was entrusted with the teaching of philosophy (1925-1927), but he was soon taken to Liège to teach dogmatics (1927-1944): he covered practically the entire diocese and distinguished himself by paying great attention to positive theology: that is, to the previous study of the themes in Sacred Scripture, patristics and the history of theology. In this way he acquired an admirable theological culture, which would be of great value to him later on.
In full maturity, he was called to Louvain to contribute his historical and patristic knowledge to dogmatics (1942-1969). As an upstart (and with an unofficial mission), he had to overcome initial reluctance, managing in a few years to gather many professors in lively theological gatherings, which lasted for many years. Leuven was really at a spectacular moment: Charles Moeller, Thills, Onclin, Ceuppens.
Other pawns
Philips was never just an office theologian. He saw theology as an exercise of priestly ministry, and he made it compatible, from the beginning to the end of his life, with an intense pastoral dedication.
He took a keen interest in the Catholic Action promoted by Pius XI (1928) and was chaplain and leader throughout his priestly life (1928-1972). This was the basis of his theological interest in the laity (he became a recognized expert), but it also obliged him to develop his gifts as a communicator in order to translate speculative theology into a language understandable to ordinary people. It will help him in his conciliar mission.
In addition, he succeeded another ecclesiastic as senator of the Christian Social Party (1953-1968), and played an active role in promoting Christian initiatives, taking care, however, not to mix the things of God with those of Caesar. Many important issues were at stake: secularization of education, evangelization and education in the Congo (later independence). In addition, he carried out a priestly work of personal attention to many senators and organized retreats. He learned a lot about how to gain support and conciliate wills, and how to distinguish between an adversary and an enemy.
If we add to this his remarkable facility with languages, we must recognize that he was a very well prepared person when he was called to participate in the conciliar tasks.
Return home and comment to Lumen gentium
His return home allowed him to renew his usual teaching in Louvain until his retirement in 1969. He tried to attend to some of the many invitations to explain aspects of conciliar theology and wrote his great commentary to Lumen Gentiumin two volumes: The Church and its mystery in the Second Vatican Council.
It is certainly a major work of twentieth-century ecclesiology, because it is the most informed commentary on the ecclesiology of the Council. No one better than Philips knows what is behind each expression, because he has had to measure one after the other. The work does not abound in historical or anecdotal references that would have added to its interest, but they can be found in the published notebooks.
The last few years
In addition to the health problems (repeated heart attacks), there is the pain of the linguistic division of the University of Louvain, which ends in a total division, like that of Solomon's child (but here it is carried out). And he is much more pained by the situation of the Church, which he sees deteriorating very soon in Holland, but also in Belgium. He complains about those who want to promote a Vatican Council III without having read Vatican II. And he tries to carry out a theological apostolate and dialogue with dissidents (Schoonenberg), not always with success. In addition, he does extensive outreach work.
Trinitarian Inhabitation and Grace
Moved by an impulse of spirituality, he then wrote an important series of articles on grace, in the magazine Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienseswhich are later collected in a magnificent monograph: Trinitarian Inhabitation and Grace. It is one of the best books that can be read on the history of the doctrine of grace. It has three great successes. First, instead of speaking of grace in an abstract and often reified way, it always relates it to the living action of the Holy Spirit and Trinitarian spirituality. Secondly, it has a profound scriptural and patristic inspiration that combines perfectly with the contribution of scholasticism. Thirdly, this focused access allows him to understand much better the Orthodox tradition, which depends a lot on Gregory Palamas (14th century). And thus overcome painful misunderstandings.
In the Introduction to this remarkable book opens its spirit: "In these times when the fundamentals of faith seem unhinged and theologians write about the death and burial of God, it may seem presumptuous to prepare a book on personal union with the living God. However, to get out of the malaise that reigns around us there is nothing more effective than to explore the doctrine of the Church and of true theology on our person-to-person union with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.".
Conclusion
He is still devoting his last efforts to preparing a beautiful article about Mary in the plan of salvation. In this way, his work, not very extensive but very valuable, reflects well the great interests of his theological career: the Church, grace, Mary. His heart could take no more and he died on July 14, 1972 in Leuven, where he lived with his faithful sister Roza. He will be buried in his place of origin, Sint Truiden.
