In this essay Jeremy addresses a common complaint against Vatican II as being the tree producing the bad fruit.

This essay is the first part in the series Hermeneutics of Vatican II which examines how Catholics should understand Vatican II as a gift of the Holy Spirit. This message of the Council as a Spirit bestowed gift upon humanity is something not talked about often and yet critical for how one ought to understand the Council.

Part II is broken up into six parts. Part II.1 is dedicated to the hermeneutic of continuity as taught by the Magisterium since John XXIII.

Part II.2 develops the hermeneutic of discontinuity, and argues that this is a false hermeneutic according to the principles outlined by the Magisterium.

Part II.3 investigates the pre-Vatican tradition of theological notes and applies them to the hermeneutics of continuity and discontinuity.

Part II.4 argues based on the 1917 Code of Canon Law that Vatican II is a legitimate Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church.

Part II.5 examines the roll of disagreement and dissent according to the CDF's Donum Veritatis, and applies it to Vatican II.

Part II.6 argues that the legitimacy of Vatican II falls under the theological note fides ecclesiastica, meaning that the Council must be accepted with a response of faith since its legitimacy is an infallible proposition.

Part III is broken up into multiple parts. Part III.1 analyzes Vatican II's teachings on faith, Vatican II as an exercise of faith, and faith as a decipher. The overall thesis is that Vatican II must be implemented as an enrichment of faith.

Part III.2 applies the hermeneutic of faith to several problems in interpreting Vatican II. Part III.2.1 examines the meaning of Vatican II as a study of man. The main thesis is that Vatican II's address to modern man must be understood as an act of faith and evangelization.

Part III.2.2 examines the meaning of dialogue and how Vatican II's concept of dialogue cannot be separated from faith and truth and that the ultimate purpose of dialogue is the salvation of the world.

Part III.2.3 investigates the meaning of Vatican II being a pastoral Council. Vatican II's pastorality cannot be separated from dogma, for each requires the other in order to be intelligible.

Part III.2.4 explores the meaning of aggiornamento and how this concept is inseparable from doctrine, Vatican II's pastorality, faith, dialogue, and renewal.

Part III.2.5 identifies the concepts of ad intra and ad extra as the subjective and objective meanings of the hermeneutics of faith.

Part III.2.6 examines the controversy over the Spirit of Vatican II, arguing that its authentic interpretation is the Holy Spirit.

Part III.2.7 addresses several arguments put forth that Vatican II's teachings are ambiguous. It is argued that the hermeneutic of ambiguity is a false ambiguity for it presupposes the hermeneutics of rupture and discontinuity.

Part III.3 examines the meaning of the hermeneutic of suspicion according to Paul Riceour and how it is applied to Vatican II. In opposition to this hermeneutic we promote the hermeneutic of faith.

Part IV develops two textual principles for interpreting Vatican II while situating both within a wider spirituality of gift.

Part V argues why the dogmatic constitutions have theological priority for interpreting Vatican II

Dignitatis Humanae remains controversial today because here Vatican II famously declared that man has a right to religious freedom. Part I works through the Declaration paragraph by paragraph examining the text. Part I is broken into three parts. Part I.1 deals with articles 1-3. 

Continuing of off Part I.1, Part I.2 of the Commentary on Dignitatis Humanae covers articles 4-8 to finish up chapter 1 of the document.

Part I.3 covers articles 9-15 of Dignitatis Humanae. 

Part II of this Commentary explores the notion of religious freedom found in the papacies from Leo XII to Francis in order to understand the condemnations of indifferentism and the development of an authentic understanding of religious freedom. Part II.1 is dedicated to the preconciliar papal teachings. 

Part II.2 continues by examining the meaning of religious freedom during Vatican II and in the postconciliar Magisterium. The essay analyzes the teachings of Paul VI to Francis and the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith.

Part III explores three articles published by the SSPX and can easily be found on their website. The content of these articles are some arguments against the teachings of Dignitatis Humanae. Part III analyzes and refutes these SSPX arguments.

Part IV explores the book Religious Liberty Questioned by Marcel Lefebvre who is the founder of the SSPX. This investigation develops further some themes in Part III while also treating the problem of coercion within Catholic theology.