Last week saw the celebration of the feast of St John XXIII as well as the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, which he convened.
The (by all accounts) humorous Pope spoke of “opening the windows to the world” and speaking in a “modern vernacular”.
While the sentiment espoused by the Pontiff is admirable, the legacy of the council remains a vexed question in the Church. Is it to blame for the decrease in Mass attendance and the dwindling number of vocations? Or was it a change of direction which led the Church to a much-needed closer interaction with the world?
