Annus Mirabilis (by a Spirit of Vatican II Catholic)

This is just a bit of fun. I am very much a Vatican II Catholic myself-- and even a spirit of Vatican II Catholic (St. John Paul II actually appealed to the "spirit" of the Council on several occasions.) This poem isn't mocking Vatican II, or even its spirit, but those misguided Catholics who expected the Church was going to go full hippy.

It is, of course, a pastiche of a famous Philip Larkin poem which begins with the words "Sexual intercourse".

The real Catholic Church began
In 1963
(Which was just in time for me)
Before the contraceptive ban
And the second Pope J.P.

Up until then there'd only been
A lot of mumbling
And guilt and shame and bling
That started out with Constantine
And screwed up everything.

Then suddenly the Spirit spoke
And everyone felt the same.
Goodbye to guilt and shame;
God was a thoroughly decent bloke
Who'd been given a bad name.

So life was never better than
In 1963
(Still years before H.V.)
Before the contraceptive ban
And the second Pope J.P.