The Agony of the Catholic Church episode 4: Lancing the Boil — Vatican II and After

Modernity had proved irresistible. Papal pronouncements against capitalism and socialism had tempted some Catholics, in the period from 1918 to 1945, to support right-wing authoritarians — fascists, even — with whom they shared nothing but a dislike of liberalism and democracy. And then were utterly discredited by the appalling events that ensued.

Worse, after 1945, millions of Catholics in central and eastern Europe were forced to live under atheistic Communist régimes determined to crush all churches to extinction.

The Church's opposition to modernity could no longer be maintained.

It was then that John XXIII had "an inspiration of the Holy Spirit" to hold a Second Vatican Council which (though he never said so) would undo the harm done by its predecessor. And so it proved. In this, the final episode in our series on the 170-year-long agony of the Catholic Church, we consider how Vatican II (1962-65) finally made the Church fit for purpose in the modern world.

00:00 Intro
03:23 "An Inspiration of the Holy Spirit"
30:55 Conservative Outrage and Schism
42:17 Catholic Charismatic Movement
48:00 Pius XII Debate

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