ABSTRACT
Innovative Catholics have since revised their understanding of the human condition, having moved on from the idea of the collective person to one that has greater but not complete resemblance to that of the modern citizen and which has been conceptualised in this work as a relational person. Innovative Catholics contend that the Church should welcome progressive ideas and practices, believing that much is to be gained, as has been evidenced in secular society. Habermas promotes the idea that problems in secular society might be remedied by religious concepts, but Innovative Catholics indicate that this position overlooks the effect of reciprocity. They are aware that the Second Vatican Council made some moves to incorporate a modicum of democratic attitudes and actions but that these were undermined by the autocratic preferences of Popes John Paul and Benedict. Innovative Catholics argue that the Church should advance democratising arrangements, not only for its own sake but also for society at large.
