Was the Second Vatican Council a Good Thing?

For 40 years or so I have been amongst those whose answer was "no". (There may even have been a couple of exclamation points around that "no".) And, yes, I realize The Council took place more than 40 years ago. But since everyone I trusted said it was an absolutely wonderful event and the next-best thing to the parousia, I went along. It took a while to be disabused of the notion. So let us say a nice round 40 years of ecclesiastical disgruntlement.

An issue or two ago The New Oxford Review also apparently got tired of waiting for the renewal which seemed not to be just around the corner after all, and asked if anyone could justify that whole Council business.

Someone responded. The resulting article, "Why The Second Vatican Council Was a Good Thing" is the most cogently argued I've seen. It's well-worth reading and pondering. Which is not to be interpreted as a complete endorsement. But it is the first serious argument I've seen that isn't based on some fantasy renewal for which there is no objective evidence.