Reform with the Help of Juxtapositions: A Challenge to the Interpretation of the Documents of Vatican II

Why are conversion and reform in view of the unity of the Church not a constantly ongoing matter? Why is it that church renewal seems to stagnate? Does this possibly have to do with the way in which elements of reform and renewal were presented in the deliberations of the Second Vatican Council and finally were presented in its documents? Juxtaposition can be considered to be the method or strategy the council used in presenting the elements of reform and renewal. Juxtaposition also characterizes many conciliar statements. The main focus of this contribution concerns the question whether this method did not encumber the reception and interpretation ofVatican II with heavy baggage. Did it not cause several sterile debates in the post-conciliar period and does it not still continue to provoke them? Juxtapositions are a challenge to the interpretation of the council. How should we deal with them in order to encourage and implement the renewal Vatican II had in mind?