Why the Catholic Church Needs Vatican III

The Roman Catholic Church faces fundamental problems both in the universal church and particularly in the centre in Rome. Various statements in recent times from the Vatican have underlined once again just how far out of touch the Curia in Rome is with the reality on the ground, and also just how far that same Curia is willing to go to protect its own power and control of the church internationally. Much of this arises from the failure of the church to implement some of the key ideas agreed by the bishops of the world at the Second Vatican Council over forty years ago. These include the redefinition of the church as The People of God and the vision of church authority as being exercised in collegiality between the pope and the bishops of the world.

T. P. O'Mahony was born in Cork in 1939. From 1967 to 1989 he was religious affairs correspondent with The Irish Press and thereafter with The Irish Examiner. As such he covered papal visits to South America, the USA, Switzerland, Ireland and Britain. He has also covered conclaves, synods and conferences in Rome, Canterbury, Geneva, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Philadelphia, Bogota, New York and Tokyo. Among the magazines he has contributed to are America, Doctrine Life and Studies. T. P. has written nine books including Sex and Sanctity and The Vatican Caper (novels), and biographies of Albino Luciani (Pope John Paul I) and former Taoiseach Jack Lynch. His most recent book is Has God Logged Off? (The Columba Press, 2008). He holds an honours degree in law from UCC.