THOMISM AND THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL
Thomism became the official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church due to the encyclical of Pope Leo XIII in the end of the XIX-th century. Thomas Aquinas, a great theologian and philosopher of the Middle Ages, had a great authority due to his clear and ordered system that was necessary both for the comprehension of the truths of faith and for apologetics. However, at the Second Vatican Council this great teacher of the Church remained almost unclaimed. Only in some documents of the Council the references were made to his works. In this article, we examine the atmosphere and the circumstances of the Council and discover the reasons due to which this theologian and philosopher appeared to be unpopular. The Second Vatican Council, called by Pope John XXIII, put on the agenda more pastoral tasks than theological ones. It was important for the Council to promote more close ties between the Church and the secular society, to show that the Church is not opposed towards the world, but is concerned with its vital problems. The theology and philosophy of Thomas Aquinas looked far removed from the existing reality. The expression of the eternal truths demanded other means for their articulation. The philosophy and theology of Thomas played an important role as a theoretical foundation in defending faith during the Middle Ages, but in the XX-th century, there was a need of more advanced methods and more sound approaches to the religious experience area. Therefore, we can say that the Thomism was an important moment in the development of philosophy and theology, but the Second Vatican Council became the final stage in its development as the official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.