In light of our recent discussion of reform in the history of the Church, I wanted to bring to your attention a panel featuring John O’Malley, Russell Hittinger, and Joseph Mueller. The panel addresses losses and gains in the governance of the Church after Vatican I. There are some important references in the dialogue back to Trent and forward to Vatican II.

Fr. John O’Malley recently published the following book: http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674979987

I recall asking him after he published his book on Trent (2013), which followed his book on Vatican II (2010), whether he would be writing a book on Vatican I. He did not think that it would happen at the time. In the acknowledgments to the aforementioned title, O’Malley mentions others making the same point and responding even more strongly: “I told them I had not the slightest interest in such a project and, indeed, swore a mighty oath I would never undertake it. Perhaps Doctor Freud can explain why shortly thereafter I went to work doing precisely what I swore I would never do, but the explanation escapes me” (297).