The structure of the Roman Catholic Church is undergoing a fundamental metamorphosis. As in every living organism, such growth is, of course, accompanied by internal difficulty. Peculiar to the Roman Church, however, is that its current experience was occasioned by an Ecumenical Council called to reenforce its internal integrity and prepare it for union with the other Christian churches.

In the decade since Vatican Council II (1962-65) the monolithic image of the Catholic Church has suffered severe damage. In trying to update the Church's awareness of its obligations to the contemporary world the Council revealed painful divergences in doctrinal and disciplinary understanding within the institution that considers itself the parent body of Christianity.