Aggiornamento

"Aggiornamento", literally meaning "bringing up to date," was one of the key words used during the Second Vatican Council both by bishops and clergy attending the sessions, and by the media and Vaticanologists covering it. It was used to mean a spirit of change, openness, openmindedness and modernity.

The rival term used was "ressourcement" which meant a return to earlier sources, traditions and symbols of the early Church.

Many clergy could be categorised as belonging to either camp. "Aggiornamento"s 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. Neither was satisfied with the Church as it stood immediately before the Council. Both however sought inspiration for the expected new style conciliar church in different eras.

"Aggiornamento"s were particularly associated with the much repeated phrase in the Church in the 1960s the sign of the times, meaning an attempt to learn from the world and read the 'signs of the times'.

The theological method of Pope John Paul II represented an attempt to wed the two concepts by drawing upon the ancient deposit of faith to address contemporary issues in an engaging way.