ABSTRACT
Almost every day Pope Paul VI took another step toward solidifying the prospects of the second session of the Council. On September 16, the Pope made a symbolic gesture in support of his long-standing convictions about the power of the bishops. The Pope announced a new source of power in the Council: a board of four moderators to direct the proceedings on the floor. No matter how good the Curia might be, the Pope suggested, it could never be good enough to measure up to the standards of the Gospels; it is always fair game for critics. The Pope urged the Curia to accept criticisms as a stimulus, to receive them with humility, with reflection, even with gratitude. As a piece of rhetoric Pope Paul's talk to the Curia was a masterpiece. It aroused the hopes of the reformers, and for many weeks they were to quote his invitation to form a new "senate" or a new "cabinet" of bishops.
