In some publications one can find a claim about a radical shift of views of Joseph Ratzinger which was supposed to transform a progressive theologian into a conservative guardian of faith. Some even speak of two Ratzingers. and link this change to his becoming a bishop or the prefect of Congregation for the Faith. Others point out that there was a distinct evolution of Ratzinger, linked to the 1968 events. According to the author of the article, in the years 1965–1966 there could have been a certain development in Ratzinger's theology on the renewal of the Church. This research hypothesis has been confronted with the texts of the German theologian. The first part of the article shows the painful experience of Ratzinger who already at the end of the Second Vatican Council saw a misperception of the ideas and documents of the Council. The second part analyses the problem of a false, superficial renewal that is far from the intention of Ratzinger and the Council. Next, the criteria of an authentic renewal formulated by this theologian in the aforementioned period are explored. The problem of a distinction between an authentic and a false renewal seems particularly relevant today.