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When Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council on 11 October 1962, few people anticipated the impact it would have. Commentators of the time expected the Council simply to ratify familiar positions on a range of issues and to conclude its business within a couple of months. Nobody imagined the Council continuing for four sessions, until December 1965, or envisaged the depth of the Church's soul-searching, as it grappled with what it means to be a Christian in the context of the modern world.
Fifty years later, we are still grappling with the challenge of making the timeless message of the gospel intelligible in our changing times. Now, however, we have the wisdom of the Council itself to guide us in our search. So, at this critical time for the Catholic Church in Ireland and worldwide, it is good for us to pause, to consider what the Council has to say to us today, and to explore ways of making its vision more of a reality.
In this short series, three of Ireland's leading theologians will talk about the relevance of the Council for the issues facing today's Church, and will invite you to join them in a conversation about the way forward.
Tuesday, 31 January:
'The Promise of Vatican II: Reality or Illusion?'
(Fr. James Corkery, S.J., Associate Professor of Theology, Milltown Institute)
Tuesday, 7 February:
'The Church in the World: A Light for the Nations?'
(Dr. Sue Mulligan, Lecturer, Milltown Institute)
Tuesday, 14 February:
'The People of God: Towards a Renewed Church?'
(Fr. Gerry O'Hanlon, S.J., Associate Professor of Theology, Milltown Institute)
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