The Thwarting of Catholic Reform

From the Archive: Pope Benedict XVI’s abdication ends the career of a Catholic intellectual who understood the need for Church reform  but joined with John Paul II and other conservatives to protect an autocratic system that failed to stop pedophile priests or meet the needs of the faithful, wrote Catholic theologian Paul Surlis in 2012. By Paul Surlis (First published on June 28, 2012 and slightly updated) A half century ago, the Second Vatican Council, which opened on Oct. 11, 1962,...