On Oct. 21, 2003, The Forum editorial praised the works of Pope John Paul II, but also included a statement that said, "In short, John Paul II has revolutionized the post-Vatican II church. Indeed, much of what Vatican II accomplished has been relegated to obscurity or rejected."
We responded to your opinion with a letter that you printed in the Nov. 1, 2003, Forum. We wrote that not all of the Pope's work was worthy of praise and we feared that you were correct when you wrote the above statement. Now, almost four years later, Pope Benedict XVI, with his recent pronouncements, seems to be continuing the "relegating to obscurity and rejection" of Vatican II's accomplishments. We continue to fear the consequences. Vatican II had once given us such hope for a renewed church for this changing world.
Recently (July 25), you printed a letter from Brad Schmidt of West Fargo concerning the recent statements from the Pope. His fine letter expressed so well how so many of us Catholics feel. We had considered writing our own thoughts on the subject, but he says it better than we can.
