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Why did Pope John XXIII call the Second Vatican Council?
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St. John XXIII
Pope John XXIII said the goal of his papacy was to “bring the church up to date” and regenerate Catholic faith.
Pope John XXIII announced the Second Vatican Council in 1959 primarily to serve as a means of spiritual renewal for the Roman Catholic Church.12
His stated purpose for the council was aggiornamento, an Italian term meaning "bringing up to date," which aimed to modernize the church's liturgy and practices to better meet contemporary pastoral needs. Additionally, the pope sought to foster unity among Christians, including those separated from Rome, by extending a hand of fraternal understanding. This spirit of reform and openness to change marked a significant shift away from the defensive posture the church had often maintained in relation to the modern world.1234