Abstract

The Three Churches of Catholicism

The extraordinary Synod of Bishops held in Rome last December brought together representatives of all the national churches and exponents of all the conflicting currents of thought that are assailing Pope John Paul II's leadership. The synod, held between November 24 and December 8, was officially convened to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, which lasted from October 11, 1962, to December 8, 1965. Vatican II was a historic conclave, almost revolutionary: it called on the Catholic Church to come to terms with the contemporary world. The council was extremely well received by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. But in the past seven years, under John Paul II, its teachings have been quietly but systematically opposed and, wherever possible, rolled back by the Vatican.