Coercion being employed by Church to put the brakes on modernisation and diversity

In his letter (Apr 14)l John Riordan advances some ideas to which I might — as an octogenarian — be permitted to offer an alternative.

I begin with the Pope, John XX111, calling the faithful to Rome for the Second Vatican Council. He said that signs of the time for change seemed to have come. He wanted the whole world to come together to effect renewal, not by being told what to do, but each country bringing to the table its own unique contribution.

This was something for the Curia which was hard to swallow, and they tried to dictate what subjects should be discussed.