Lectures / 27/04/2009 7:30 pm

Is the Vatican seeking to turn the clock back to before the 1963 Council?

What does the paradigm change mean with regard to coming to terms with the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and its consequences? The tensions the Council caused are still in evidence in the shape of the of the supporters of the late Bishop Marcel Levefre (SSPX). Explicit claims have been made that the Council’s reformist tendencies and findings contravene the Catholic tradition and need to be repealed. This may serve as an example for a process also found elsewhere: old knowledge traditions are revamped and juxtaposed to the project of a new world. Despite the shadows of global catastrophes hanging over humanity as a whole, we have never had more means at our disposal to enhance the quality of life and ensure survival. For the first time we would have the chance to ensure that human rights are respected, sexuality liberated, inhumane forms of religion opposed, and democracy developed. We are also the first who have been given the power to subject to our control what was termed “forces and demons” in the old world view – through psychiatry and psychotherapy, which have developed into agencies with the power to de-demonize.