Why the Catholic Church Needs Vatican III

The problems in the Catholic Church in Ireland are in fact reflections of fundamental problems in the universal church and particularly in the centre in Rome. Various statements in recent times from the Vatican have underlined once again just how far out of touch the Curia in Rome is with the reality on the ground, and also just how far that same Curia is willing to go to protect its own power and control of the church internationally. Much of this arises from the failure of the church to implement some of the key ideas agreed by the bishops of the world at the Second Vatican Council over forty years ago. These include the redefinition of the church as The People of God and the vision of church authority as being exercised in collegiality between the pope and the bishops of the world. T. P. O'Mahony contends that John Paul II, who voted against many of the more progressive ideas brought forward in that council, and his successor Benedict XVI, have both done everything possible to ensure that these decisions of Vatican II are thwarted in practice. The only way things can be changed is the calling of another council of the bishops of the world - Vatican III - and the finalizing of the unfinished business of the previous council. This will not happen during the papacy of Joseph Ratzinger so it will have to await the arrival of his successor.