Although I was young at the time of the council, my observation was that JohnXXIII had pushed through these changes all in the short years of his papacy. This present Pope, JPII, has been the Holy Father for almost thirty years, and cannot touch the mostly radical changes that JohnXXIII has affected.
That he was a liberal administrator is to me in no doubt.
The missal used by traditional groups is the Missal of 1962 - the Missal of Bl. John XXIII. John's beliefs:
And We also, impelled by the weightiest of reasons -- the same as those which prompted Our Predecessors and provincial synods 13 -- are fully determined to restore this language to its position of honor, and to do all We can to promote its study and use. The employment of Latin has recently been contested in many quarters, and many are asking what the mind of the Apostolic See is in this matter. We have therefore decided to issue the timely directives contained in this document, so as to ensure that the ancient and uninterrupted use of Latin be maintained and, where necessary, restored...Bishops and superiors-general of religious orders shall take pains to ensure that in their seminaries and in their schools where adolescents are trained for the priesthood, all shall studiously observe the Apostolic See's decision in this matter and obey these Our prescriptions most carefully.
In the exercise of their paternal care they shall be on their guard lest anyone under their jurisdiction, eager for revolutionary changes, writes against the use of Latin in the teaching of the higher sacred studies or in the Liturgy, or through prejudice makes light of the Holy See's will in this regard or interprets it falsely. (Veterum Sapientia)
We address Ourselves now to all of you who are separated from this Apostolic See. May this wonderful Spectacle of unity, by which the Catholic Church is set apart and distinguished, as well as the prayers and entreaties with which she begs God for unity, stir your hearts and awaken you to what is really in your best interest.May We, in fond anticipation, address you as sons and brethren? May We hope with a father's love for your return?...
There is never any need, therefore, to turn to proponents of doctrines condemned by the Church; for they only draw men on with false promises and when they obtain control of the state, try boldly and unscrupulously to deprive men of their supreme spiritual goods—the Christian commandments, Christian hope, and Christian faith. Those who adhere to the doctrines these men propose, minimize or eliminate all that our present age and our modern civilization hold dearest: true liberty and the authentic dignity of the human person. Thus they attempt to destroy the bases of Christianity and civilization.
All, therefore, who wish to remain Christians must be aware of their serious obligation to avoid those false principles, which Our predecessors—especially Popes Pius XI and Pius XII—have condemned in the past, and which We condemn once again...
There is one truth especially which We think is self-evident: when the sacred rights of God and religion are ignored or infringed upon, the foundations of human society will sooner or later crumble and give way. Our predecessor of immortal memory, Leo XIII, expressed this truth well: "It follows . . . that law becomes ineffective and all authority is weakened once the sovereign and eternal rule of God, who commands and forbids, is rejected." (Ad Petri Cathedram)
These are not the words of a liberal. Latin in the liturgy? The "ecumenism of return"? An "exclusivist" conception of the Church?
That he was a liberal administrator is to me in no doubt.
There should be. Consider how he had Lyonnet and Zerwick dismissed from the Pontifical Biblical Institute for their heretical theories, how he had books added to the Index instead of dissolving it like Paul VI, how he had conservatives like Msgr. Lefebvre appointed to the commissions to prepare for the Council...