Golden Jubilee of the Second Vatican Council

The election of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (1881-1963), a farmer’s son from Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo in northern Italy, as the 261st Pope in 1958 with the name of John XXIII, brought great excitement to the world, especially for members of the Roman Catholic Church. Believing in inclusivity and reaching out to everyone, especially those on the margins, he convened the Second Vatican Council, which opened on October 11, 1962. Its golden jubilee this year did not receive the attention it deserved. That council had many significant achievements, which generated considerable goodwill and hope, and brought the era of the counter-reformation to an end.

It reformed church liturgy, with a new emphasis on scripture, allowed Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular instead of Latin, as well as Mass to be said with the priest facing the people. It supported ecumenism with other Christian churches and engagement with other religions, recognising that salvation could be attained outside the Catholic Church. It also provided for the active participation of the laity and offered huge opportunities for the Church to engage with the modern world. The council did not satisfy everyone, especially in relation to issues about sexual morality. However, after Pope John’s death, the Catholic Church never realised the potential of the Second Vatican Council, and alienated many members, leading to a collapse of faith in many countries. Now, the Catholic Church has numerous issues to address and many are longing for the third Vatican Council.

Bernard O'Hara's latest book entitled Killasser: Heritage of a Mayo Parish is now on sale in the USA and UK as a paperback book at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk or Barnes and Noble

It is also available as an eBook from the Apple iBookstore (for reading on iPad and iPhone), from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle & Kindle Fire) and from Barnesandnoble.com (Nook tablet and eReader).

An earlier publication, a concise biography of Michael Davitt, entitled Davitt by Bernard O’Hara published in 2006 by Mayo County Council , is now available as Davitt: Irish Patriot and Father of the Land League by Bernard O’Hara, which was published in the USA by Tudor Gate Press (www.tudorgatepress.com) and is available from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. It can be obtained as an eBook from the Apple iBookstore (for reading on iPad and iPhone), from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle & Kindle Fire) and from Barnesandnoble.com (Nook tablet and eReader).