In "To Sanctify the World", author George Weigel argues that the decline of Christendom (and rise of secular movements) was already visible long before Vatican II. Darwin, Freud, Marx, secular humanism and two bloody world wars had continuing impacts to shake off the culture of Christendom that had roots back to Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. Technological achievements were influencing an inherent boastfulness in prevailing culture where independence from God was increasingly sought and presumed. New initiatives were needed to make the Church's mission to evangelize and sanctify to be more effective.The title alludes to the "universal call to holiness" (and charity) from VII's Lumen Gentium, The Constitution on the Church."John XXIII understood the purposes of the Second Vatican Council as Christocentric, evangelical, and soteriological, or salvific: the primary purpose of Vatican II would be to enrich and intensify the Church’s proclamation of the salvation won for humanity by Jesus Christ. That was the reason for the Church’s existence."In order to meet the challenges of the post-war 20th century (and to prepare for the approaching Third Millennium), there was a need for the renewal of the Catholic mind and new energy applied to the Catholic mission. The world was in great need of the good news of the Gospel."The path of sanctity is the path of authentic reform". The path runs through a deeper appropriation of the "deposit of faith", the revealed truths (and person of Jesus Christ) on which Catholicism rests.The author asserts that Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, Pope John XXIII's opening address to Vatican II on 11 October 1962, is the clearest expression on the original intention and purpose of the Second Vatican Council and the best source of an interpretive framework. Gaudet Mater Ecclesia exhorted that the sacreddeposit of Christian doctrine should be more effectively defended and presented. It also summoned Catholicism to a new Pentecost and a new evangelical fervor with the potential to revitalize a world civilization needing more love, peace, justice, mercy and truth.Part 2 of the Book focuses on deeper analysis of key documents from the Council. Part 3 elaborates on interpretative keys to the Council that includes but is not limited to the legacy of the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI.The Vatican II Council is in the past and it would be wrong to try to leave it open-ended and try to sustain it in an endless progressivism ever citing "the Spirit of Vatican II". It would also be improper to ignore the Council as if it never happened and fail to heed its message and mission. This is a needed book with a needed message.Addendum Comment: The great upheaval which has occurred within Catholicism in recent decades had much to do with acceptance by Christian scholars of evolution theory (contrary to the intent of 1950's Humani Generis by Pope Pius X). So many of those disposed to question Genesis and original sin and the deposit of faith, seem loath to question anything of evolution. Relative to the state of the world after creation and events in the life of Noah, Pope Peter I in his second epistle affirmed that "the world that then existed was destroyed, deluged with water" (2 Peter 3:6). Jesus Christ, the Living Word, is unchanging. His gospel is leaven for the world and its message must not be changed.