Dave Davies

But you say, without saying so directly, he made it clear quickly that things were going to be different from the grim sobriety of the previous pope. What did he do?

But you say, without saying so directly, he made it clear quickly that things were going to be different from the grim sobriety of the previous pope. What did he do?

But you say, without saying so directly, he made it clear quickly that things were going to be different from the grim sobriety of the previous pope. What did he do?

All right. Let's talk about some of the issues of potential reform that came up at the Vatican II Council, some issues that the church was confronting. One of them was the longstanding practice of requiring priests to remain unmarried and celibate. Now, there's a fascinating history here, right? This was not always the case, right?

All right. Let's talk about some of the issues of potential reform that came up at the Vatican II Council, some issues that the church was confronting. One of them was the longstanding practice of requiring priests to remain unmarried and celibate. Now, there's a fascinating history here, right? This was not always the case, right?

All right. Let's talk about some of the issues of potential reform that came up at the Vatican II Council, some issues that the church was confronting. One of them was the longstanding practice of requiring priests to remain unmarried and celibate. Now, there's a fascinating history here, right? This was not always the case, right?

So there's this requirement that priests can't marry and can't have sex. This has created a problem for the church, hasn't it? A real shortage of priests.

So there's this requirement that priests can't marry and can't have sex. This has created a problem for the church, hasn't it? A real shortage of priests.

So there's this requirement that priests can't marry and can't have sex. This has created a problem for the church, hasn't it? A real shortage of priests.

There was another issue involving sexuality and that is birth control. I mean it was against Catholic doctrine. There was thought that perhaps it's time to change that. You write about a Belgian bishop, Leo Joseph Sunans, who talked about his experiences hearing the confessions of women and what this restriction meant for them in their lives.

There was another issue involving sexuality and that is birth control. I mean it was against Catholic doctrine. There was thought that perhaps it's time to change that. You write about a Belgian bishop, Leo Joseph Sunans, who talked about his experiences hearing the confessions of women and what this restriction meant for them in their lives.

There was another issue involving sexuality and that is birth control. I mean it was against Catholic doctrine. There was thought that perhaps it's time to change that. You write about a Belgian bishop, Leo Joseph Sunans, who talked about his experiences hearing the confessions of women and what this restriction meant for them in their lives.

There was one really significant change, which was it was decreed that they didn't have to – priests did not have to conduct mass solely in Latin, which meant that people around the world could understand more of what was being said. That was really the one enduring change, wasn't it?

There was one really significant change, which was it was decreed that they didn't have to – priests did not have to conduct mass solely in Latin, which meant that people around the world could understand more of what was being said. That was really the one enduring change, wasn't it?

There was one really significant change, which was it was decreed that they didn't have to – priests did not have to conduct mass solely in Latin, which meant that people around the world could understand more of what was being said. That was really the one enduring change, wasn't it?

And I guess another thing that Pope John XXIII did make some progress on is changing church doctrine on how the Catholic Church regarded other faiths, particularly Protestant faiths, but also particularly the Jewish faith. It was pretty harsh before that, right?

And I guess another thing that Pope John XXIII did make some progress on is changing church doctrine on how the Catholic Church regarded other faiths, particularly Protestant faiths, but also particularly the Jewish faith. It was pretty harsh before that, right?

And I guess another thing that Pope John XXIII did make some progress on is changing church doctrine on how the Catholic Church regarded other faiths, particularly Protestant faiths, but also particularly the Jewish faith. It was pretty harsh before that, right?

So Philip Sheenan, we talked about how Pope John XXIII with the Second Vatican Council initiated a lot of reforms in the Catholic Church. Some were enacted. The four popes who followed by and large didn't advance those efforts and in many cases kind of reversed them.

So Philip Sheenan, we talked about how Pope John XXIII with the Second Vatican Council initiated a lot of reforms in the Catholic Church. Some were enacted. The four popes who followed by and large didn't advance those efforts and in many cases kind of reversed them.