No longer sitting pretty on the rock of Peter : ritual change in the Catholic Church in Australia post Vatican II [thesis]

Gabrielle Johnstone
1997
South Wales, for her professional and invaluable guidance, care and enthusiasm during the preparation of this thesis. Thanks are also due to the many priests and religious sisters who participated in the interviews. Each of them gave their time zealously and freely and thus helped to further the research. To my parents and the members of my family, special appreciation is merited, for their encouragement and support through the many indistinct and difficult times. The Church appeared "stable
more » ... changeless."* * 5 Catholics persisted in their devotions, saying the rosary, with its joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries, their novenas, especially to the Virgin Mary, regular reception of the sacrament of penance, and Sunday Mass attendance. In 1959 there were 2051124 lay Catholics, 2,130 secular priests, 1,183 religious priests, 1,726 religious brothers and 12,855 religious sisters.6 Despite an apparent unchanging image of the Church, by the end of the 1950s, some Catholics were reflecting on the interaction of religion and culture in Australian society.7 Pope John XXIII, sensitive to this dynamic interaction, between religion and culture, spoke in his Apostolic Constitution, Humanae Salutis, in December 1961, of the need to convoke the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council for sometime in 1962, so as to enable the Church to begin to "distinguish the 'signs of the times'."8 In his opening Catholics 1910-1990. p.49.
doi:10.26190/unsworks/8804 fatcat:hiyjxsxxlfbmjello6uxbtxtoi