Vatican II in no way implied this. As Catholics, we are obligated to attend mass on Sundays and all the holy days unless a serious case like illness comes in the way.
The Church mandates this because it aims to guide us in the right path in the best way possible. We are God’s creatures and naturally, we should feel obliged to worship our Creator but due to our weakness as humans, we often fail in our commitment. The Church in her wisdom, understands the weakness of our human nature and knows that if not properly guided, we would fail in our simple obligations as God’s creatures. It seems as though it makes matters worse that God gave us “free will.” The will to do what we want to do. As humans, we often times end up abusing our free will. The Church knows that if not mandated, many of us, despite knowing that it is our obligation, will not attend mass on Sundays as commanded by God.
Regarding the spirit and the law, St. Paul in Romans 7:6 said, “But now, we are released from the law, dead to what held us captive so that we may serve in the newness of the spirit and not under the obsolete letter”. Let us not get confused. By his statement, St. Paul implies that we, who now possess the Spirit of Christ should be led by the Spirit to do what we’re supposed to do as Christians and it should be done out of love for God, not out of fear of punishment.
Laws are there to indicate that a person has done wrong and every law comes with its sanctions. This is why the people of the old strived to do what was right out of fear of being punished. This is not an ideal way to serve God. But now that Christ has died, we are no longer under the law but under the Spirit which will lead us to obey the laws of God, not out of fear but out of love of God.
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Note: While content aims to align with Catholic teachings, any inconsistencies or errors are unintended. For precise understanding, always refer to authoritative sources like the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Always double-check any quotes for word-for-word accuracy with the Bible or the Catechism of the Catholic Church.