Unit 7
"Do Not Be Afraid": The Church in the Modern Era
After the end of WWI, it may have seemed inconceivable that there could be a greater threat to human civilization on the horizon. And yet, as the twentieth century progressed, these greater threats emerged. In the post-World War II world, the popes worked for reconciliation and peace while warning against the great threats the world still faced. The Council Fathers worked to determine new ways to pastorally present the unchanging truths of the Faith to the modern world. Vatican II led to new efforts in biblical study, evangelization, reforms in the liturgy, and a renewed effort at ecumenism and interfaith dialogue.