By Eduardo J. Echeverria, The Catholic Thing - The Second Vatican Council was gripped by St. Paul’s vision of cosmic redemption in Christ. (Col 1: 9-23) In this light, the Council affirmed, “The good news of Christ continually renews the life and culture of fallen man . . . as it were from within; it fortifies, completes and restores [it] in Christ.” (§28) This view “gives Christ, the Redeemer of man, center of the universe and of history, the scope of completely renewing the lives of men ‘by opening the vast fields of culture to His saving power’.” (§58)