Aggiornamento

The aggiornamento ( adʒ: ɔrna'mɛnto; Italian: giorno - the day, bring on the day, so in about: Adapting to today's standards ) is one of Pope John XXIII. introduced term for the necessary opening of the Catholic Church (especially its liturgy and its appearance ) to allow her to serve in the modern world better. It was interpreted as a theme the convening of the Second Vatican Council, which met from 1962 to 1965.

The term was first used only in general terms, such as when the " aggiornamento " of the canonical church law ( " revision ") was the speech. The future Pope John XXIII. used 1957 - at that time still a Cardinal Roncalli - at a provincial synod of Venice, the new name: "Do you often heard the word ' aggiornamento '? Behold our holy church, always youthful and ready, the different course of life circumstances to follow with the purpose to adjust, correct, improve, inspire. "

However, the council popes were already once contrary to the view that the current time horizon should be the criterion of Catholic identity. Thus warned John XXIII. on September 9, 1962, a misreading of aggiornamento, " the only sweeten your life or flatter nature will." The slogan of " aggiornamento " yet verselbstständige itself. When, in 1968 in the discussion of the encyclical Humanae Vitae on the one hand and the liturgical reform ( 1965-1975 ) on the other hand, came to light that Rome continues from the " Petrine principle " 'll make use of, so do not divulged the papal authority, it motivated many liberals (notably Hans Küng ) to public opposition. Conversely, it came from the traditionalist currents of opposition to increased, ultimately into conflict with Pope Paul VI. and to break with the Roman Catholic Church ( lefebvrianische harriers 1976 excommunication of Archbishop Lefebvre 1988).

Essentially, the chosen in the aggiornamento of the 1960s line, however, is irreversible and has the pontificate of Pope John Paul II just entered universal respect and admiration worldwide in the young generation. The problem is that Catholicism has to connect a necessary intransigence, so uncompromising, so that the ecclesiastical order in the respective contemporary environment ever " arrives ". The painstaking delineation of the Invariant variables is the core of the papal- episcopal Magisterium throughout the centuries.

Therefore, almost all papal doctrinal statements are characterized in that they, while rejecting many, at the same time make concessions. Will reforms made, the continuity is simultaneously also always stressed. This update of the denomination through the church office has, despite all the problems, total proven to be reliable and successful, as an autonomous " theological " Innovation can afford it.

A remarkable translation and interpretation of the " aggiornamento " was the Catholic priest Alfons hatchet (1896-1997) in his memoirs to My Life experiences, testimonies and questions (Heidelberg, 1989), chapter 1.6. " The council and its aftermath " (p. 29), which states in part: " On October 11, 1962 when it opened John XXIII. So the Second Vatican Council. (...) The council was indeed, as John had hoped, to a new Pentecost; it was opened a window streamed through the fresh air into the room of the church. It came to the ' aggiornamento ', as the Pope put it, that is, literally, to 'on - the - today - stand- put ' of the Church. But that does not mean some adaptation of the Church to the world in contrast to the apostle in Romans 12:2 as people want to put it down, which ' the whole direction does not fit ', but renewal of the Church from its origin, but on a careful attention to the God's sign of the times. "

Joseph Ratzinger ( later Pope Benedict XVI. ) Warned in his 1968 book " Introduction to Christianity " in front of a simplistic view of aggiornamento. It is true that often the one who wanted to proclaim the faith to vorkomme like someone who had emerged from an ancient sarcophagus in costume and thought of the ancient world in the middle of the world today. "The basic paradox which is already in itself in faith is deepened still further, that faith occurs in the garb of Dama leagues, yes, almost the Dama Lige, the life and form of existence at the time, seems to be. All Verheutigungen, whether intellectual- academic ' demythologizing ' or church - pragmatic ' aggiornamento ' call to change the not, on the contrary, these efforts strengthen the suspicion here would frantically output as today's, which nevertheless is precisely the Dama Lige in reality. " "