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  STMM 5110: The Theology of Vatican II 

Patrick Howell, SJ

"I want to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in." Pope John XXIII

“Aggiornamento” literally meaning "bringing up to date," was one of the key words used during Vatican II.  It was used to mean a spirit of change and open-mindedness. It was the name given to the pontifical program of Pope John XXIII in a speech he gave on January 25, 1959.  The conciliar document most often associated with the term is Gaudium et Spes.

(The rival term used was "ressourcement" which meant a return to earlier sources, traditions and symbols of the early Church.  Many clergy could be categorized as belonging to either camp. Aggiornamentos were seen as looking to the future in a post-Tridentine Church, while ressourcement members were seen as attempting to look back to the church before Trent for a simpler liturgy and less Rome-orientated leadership style.)