Fr. John O’Malley joined the Jesuits in 1946, right after World War II and more than a decade before the second Vatican council was announced. You could say he’s seen a lot of change in his 92 years, but that would be a massive understatement. Fr. O’Malley looks at this era of upheaval with a historian’s eye, and he was quick to point out in his recent conversation with host Mike Jordan Laskey that no period in our church’s 2000 year history has been smooth sailing.

Fr. O’Malley is the University Professor of Theology at Georgetown, where he specializes in church councils, among other topics. He has just released his 12th book, titled “When Bishops Meet.” In the book, he looks at big questions about church doctrine and structure and traces how they were handled at the Council of Trent, Vatican I and Vatican II.

Fr. O'Malley and Mike talk about the book and a recent essay by Fr. O’Malley about his years in the Jesuit novitiate. As you’ll see, Fr. O’Malley is a delightful conversation partner.

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"When Bishops Meet": https://www.amazon.com/When-Bishops-Meet-Comparing-Vatican/dp/0674988418

Fr. O'Malley's essay on the novitiate (available as PDF): https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/jesuit/article/view/11557