The 'Proclamation of Sapere aude' (English: “Dare to know”; and also is loosely translated as “Dare to be wise”, or even more loosely as "Dare to think for yourself!"), also called the Catholic Awakening or the Second Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence initiated in response to the Fifth Great Awakening in the United States, beginning with the Council of Brasília (2054-2066) and ending after First Contact. The Proclamation of Sapere aude was a comprehensive effort composed of five major elements:
- Ecclesiastical or structural reconfiguration
- Religious orders
- Spiritual movements
- Political dimensions
- Modernizing Catholic sacramental practice
Such reforms included the foundation of new seminary procedures for the proper training of priests in not just spirituality and theology of the Church, but also screening procedures for the "falsely pious" and "deviants," (a formalization of Church policies adopted over the last 60 years to weed out pedophiles and other criminals). Formally abolishing gender barriers in the Church hierarchy, while defending the oath of celibacy through libido diminishing agents. The reform of religious life by returning orders to their spiritual foundations, and new spiritual movements focusing on good works and a more metaphysical relationship with Christ. New teachings that regarded the stories of the Old and New Testament as anecdotal history of mankind's struggle against its own failings and a passive recognition of the necessity of traditions in the past and their new obsolescence in the present.
The most controversial reform by far was the adoption of a new dogma on the Will of God or Divine Will, that held that the almighty's will upon the lives of individuals is much more impersonal than had previously been established, and that prayer is unable to impact anything beyond the ethereal.
As with the schism of the "Old Catholics" after the First Vatican Council and the various traditionalist groups after the Second Vatican Council,some Catholics rejecting the new doctrines broke off to found new groups that remained much smaller than the continuing Roman church.
Fifth Great Awakening[]
Many scholars argue the awakening began in earnest between 2063 and 2075 shortly after First Contact. This stemmed from a Catholic movement that placed emphasis on experiencing what they saw a metaphysical or ethereal relationship with God, rejecting most mortal claims to the miraculous. It also focused on strengthening spiritual convictions through good works. Originally a Protestant movement, its influence spread to some in the Roman Catholic Church at a time when Catholic leaders were opening up to new beliefs, to a renewed emphasis on institutional structures and the new dogmatic interpretations.
The Church changed in the face of secularizing pressures after World War III. The post-World War III influence of new scientific discoveries such as genetic engineering, the multiverse, and non-human intelligence. The awakening's major trends were largely aimed at trying to reconcile the last century of scientific discovery and social trends with traditional religious dogma in the Abrahamic faiths.