I believe the Church stands at a critical time in its life. The world is in the throes of incredible, fundamental changes. Economies are more and more interdependent and undergoing massive dislocation. Witness the transitions to market economies in Russia and Eastern Europe, for example, as well as the rapid development of technology in the United States and the enormous impact of corporate downsizing and restructuring. Democratization is spreading around the world.
Social changes continue a rapid rate, both at home and abroad.
And there is a new emphasis on the discovery of a relevant and sustainable spirituality. The world is indeed experiencing a global transformation of consciousness, a sea change in thinking, individually and collectively. An executive in Phoenix runs a company in Akron by use of his laptop and FAX machine. Numerous workers do not even report to an office today. Whole industries have moved to places where wages are lower and labor laws and environmental standards less stringent than they are in the United States.