ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

History of the Catholic Church since 1962

Okay, let's start first by explaining what the Catholic Church is. The Catholic Church is a big group of Christians who believe in Jesus and his teachings. It's kind of like a club that people can join if they want to follow Catholic beliefs.

In 1962, something called the Second Vatican Council happened. It was a big meeting of important Catholic leaders from all over the world who gathered together to talk about how the Catholic Church should change and grow.

One big change that happened was that now people could pray in their own language. Before this, everyone had to pray in Latin which not many people used in their daily lives. The Catholic Church also decided to let laypeople (people who aren't priests) be more involved in important decisions and tasks.

Since then, the Catholic Church has continued to grow and develop. They have changed some of their rules to fit better with what people need today. They also have worked hard to help people all over the world, such as by building schools and hospitals.

Overall, the Catholic Church has had a long and interesting history since 1962, with a lot of changes and growth happening along the way.