Catholic Church, Dogmatic Theology, Church history -- twentieth century, Modernism 

Vatican II has influenced contemporary affairs much beyond the limits of the Catholic Church. Pope John XXIII called the Ecumenical Council to bring the Church's thinking in step with modern time. An ambitious schema was planned by the Fathers of the Church to study birth control, celibacy and equal justice for all races and religions. Fesquet discusses each one of these subjects to determine what actually changes, if any, occurred in Catholic teaching; and how substantive or procedural these changes are.

If Vatican II has changed the attitude of the Catholic Church and thereby the thinking of one fifth of the world's population, then world history, of which we are all a part, will be radically changed. This is not just another book on the Council, but contemporary social history.

The Author

Henri Fesquet, has also written The Wit and Wisdom of Good Pope John and The Drama of Vatican II. He is one of France's leading journalists, and as Religion Editor for the prestigious Le Monde since 1950, he covered the three Councils of Vatican II. It has been said of Fesquet that "his accounts became classics while the Council was still in session." So respected was he, that he enjoyed sources of information closed to other journalists. In this book Fesquet not only reports, but questions as well.

Taken from the inside flaps.