Ceremony marks 40 years since end of Vatican Council ll

Pope Benedict XVI was leading a solemn ceremony today in St Peter’s Basilica marking the 40th anniversary of the end of Vatican Council II.

Vatican II was a milestone assembly that sparked modernising reforms in the 2,000-year-old Roman Catholic church.

Cardinals and bishops from around the world joined the Pontiff in an opening procession into the basilica as he sprinkled incense around the altar and a choir of children and adults sang.

December 8 is also a church and national holiday in Italy, the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Benedict was later scheduled to make the traditional visit to Rome’s Spanish Steps to pay tribute to Mary at a statue in her honour.

Benedict, who participated in the 1962-1965 council as a German theologian, began the service by recalling the work and inspiration which marked the council.

Vatican II, with its call for modernisation, was a turning point for the Church. The council’s reforms allowed mass to be celebrated in languages other than Latin, folk songs and guitar-playing were permitted, and priests at the altar faced congregations instead of having their back to them.

The council also bridged differences between Catholics and other Christians. It deplored anti-Semitism and repudiated blaming Jews as a people for Christ’s death.

Some Churchmen, however, felt the council’s reforms went too far, especially when embraced by theologians espousing Liberation Theology, which blended the Gospel with Marxist-influenced politics, particularly in Latin America.