The year 1968 was not only a pivotal year in contemporary European history, but also important for the Maribor diocese. A partial reestablishment of higher education studies in theology in Maribor coincided with Vekoslav Grmič's elevation to the post of auxiliary bishop. The »spring« of theological thought in Maribor and Slovenia was enabled by the interweaving of various internal and external circumstances, which simultaneously outlined its boundaries. Among them, one should mention the general enthusiasm caused by the Second Vatican Council and the »Ostpolitik« of Pope Paul VI. Vekoslav Grmič was especially suitable as a frontrunner of such aspirations, since he was not only a champion of contemporary theological views then, but as a representative of the »Eastern Styrian current« inside the Slovene Catholic community he also shared some basic ideas of the Communist authorities in Slovenia. However, the fundamental unwillingness of these authorities to treat Church as an equal partner in any way and the radicalization of some already problematic concepts of the »Eastern Styrian current« of the Catholic thought in the Grmic circle eventually widened the gap between this circle and a si
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