In case the egomaniacal Mario doesn't know it he is preaching heresy when he claims "we are asked to collaborate on improving the world God created but did not complete."
Was thinking the same thing. God created the world but didn't complete it and now its up to Mario and his kind to pick up where he thinks God left off? Okay Mario, I believe you should go back and start reading the Book of Genesis.
I had the same reaction to Mario's comment on God not completing His creation. What???
"the Second Vatican Council that brought Catholicism a bright new enlightenment in the 1960s." The intention was to remove mandatory Catholic practices which were considered to be more valid as optional, pious practices, such as meatless Fridays (I still go meatless on most Fridays). Upgrading the language of the mass to the vernacular was a help for understanding. Mario gets it wrong however, since the so-called "spirit of Vatican II" was not meant to throw out the entire culture and popular piety to the point that long-held Catholic practices became nearly extinct over the last 35 years. This is the precise situation we are in now, and the exact reason that Pope Benedict will very likely encourage a return to some of the more beautiful aspects of liturgy which were too hastily discarded. He believes many of the problems in the church is due to a lack of faith; trust in the Lord with all your heart, and great things can and will happen!