Aggiornamento

/ˌɑːdʒɔːrnəˈmɛntoʊ/ noun

Definition

A process of modernization, updating, or bringing something into accordance with current times and ideas; specifically applied to the Vatican II reforms that modernized the Catholic Church.

Etymology

From Italian 'aggiornamento,' meaning 'bringing up to date,' from 'a giorno' (to the day, current). This Italian word entered English in the 1960s through Pope John XXIII's church reforms.

Kelly Says

Pope John XXIII used aggiornamento to justify radical changes to the Catholic Church in the 1960s—it's basically Italian for 'let's update our operating system' when your institution has been running the same program for centuries.

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