Thursday, May 05, 2005
"In the daily exercise of Our pastoral office, it sometimes happens that We hear certain opinions which disturb Us--opinions expressed by people who, though fired with a commendable zeal for religion, are lacking in sufficient prudence and judgment in their evaluation of events. They can see nothing but calamity and disaster in the present state of the world. They say over and over that this modern age of ours, in comparison with past ages, is definitely deteriorating. One would think from their attitude that history, that great teacher of life, had taught them nothing. They seem to imagine that in the days of the earlier councils everything was as it should be so far as doctrine and morality and the Church's rightful liberty were concerned.
"We feel that We must disagree with these prophets of doom, who are always forecasting worse disasters, as though the end of the world were at hand.
"Present indications are that the human family is on the threshold of a new era. We must recognize here the hand of God, who, as the years roll by, is ever directing men's efforts, whether they realize it or not, towards the fulfillment of the inscrutable designs of His providence, wisely arranging everything, even adverse human fortune, for the Church's good."
--Pope John XXIII - Address at the Opening of Vatican Council II - 11 October 1962
Santiago ¶ 3:12 PM
