The Vatican says the efforts are already beginning to bear fruit, for example with the rise of Catholic charismatic groups, the renaissance of pilgrimages and the huge numbers seen at the World Youth Day gatherings.
But conservatives see a crisis and blame it on misinterpretation of Vatican II, saying the Council got mixed up with the spirit of the Sixties, pushed priests to abandon the priesthood and marry and promoted incorrect teachings.
The pope has criticised what he sees as slippage in the implementation of Council teachings and believes the reforms have not borne fruit but still considers it the most important event in Church history of the last decades.
The Council brought numerous historic changes including masses held in vernacular languages instead of Latin, freedom of religion including freedom to believe in nothing, as well as dialogue with other religions like Judaism.
Roger Etchegaray, a 90-year-old French cardinal who was a secretary for the French bishops conference and attended Vatican II, told AFP that pope John XXII had “opened the window of the Church, which was a good for everyone.”
“The council texts themselves are not responsible for slippage in implementation,” Etchegaray said, adding: “Let’s not forget that the years around 1968 were a storm everywhere and they were shaking our world.”
Vatican expert Marco Politi said: “Vatican II is still the only foundation on which the Church can base its relations with modern society.
“But these innovations and the turbulent period that came after the Council angered the most conservative circles,” he said.
“Under John Paul II, a phase began when Rome wanted to impose limits on the movement of the reforms,” said the expert.
Progressive clerical circles share this view and blame the Vatican for taking the Church backward by refusing to adapt to the times.
But the pope in recent days has stressed the idea of “continuity” of tradition in the Church before and after the Council.
He said the Council highlighted the “absolute primacy of God”.
About The Author
