Cardinal celebrates the great achievements of the Council: "All these documents have changed the face of the Church" "One must not confuse tradition with traditionalism."
"All these documents have changed the face of the Church" 60 Years of the Second Vatican Council Cardinal Kasper speaks in an interview about the Council, the struggle over its interpretation, and its impact to this day. Jan-Heiner Tück: We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Council these days. As a young theologian, how did you experience John XXIII's announcement of the Council? Cardinal Walter Kasper: I remember that evening vividly. It was January 25, 1959. I was sitting with a few colleagues listening to the evening news when the announcement came: Pope John XXIII had announced an ecumenical council in St. Paul Outside the Walls. It was a bombshell! The enthusiasm grew with each passing day, and with it, the expectations. No one could know where this momentum would lead. Renewal from the Gospel Tück: What intentions did the Pope have for the council? Kasper: Initially, the word that stuck was aggiornamento, meaning the Church's modernization. But even at...