Second Vatican Council - wikipedia Second Vatican Council Second Vatican Ecumenical Council Latin : Concilium Oecumenicum Vaticanum Secundum Saint Peter 's Basilica Venue of the Second Vatican Council Date 11 October 1962 ( 11 October 1962 ) -- 8 December 1965 ( 8 December 1965 ) Accepted by Catholic Church Previous council First Vatican Council Convoked by Pope John XXIII President Pope John XXIII Pope Paul VI Attendance up to 2,625 Topics The Church in itself, its sole salvific role as the one, true and complete Christian faith, also in relation to ecumenism among other religions, in relation to the modern world, renewal of consecrated life, liturgical disciplines, etc. Documents and statements Four Constitutions : Sacrosanctum Concilium ( Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy ) Lumen gentium ( Dogmatic Constitution on the Church ) Dei verbum ( Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation ) Gaudium et spes ( Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World ) Three Declarations : Gravissimum educationis ( Declaration on Christian Education ) Nostra aetate ( Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions ) Dignitatis humanae ( Declaration on Religious Freedom ) Nine Decrees : Inter mirifica ( Decree on the Media of Social Communication ) Orientalium Ecclesiarum ( Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite ) Unitatis redintegratio ( Decree on Ecumenism ) Christus Dominus ( Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church ) Perfectae caritatis ( Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life ) Optatam totius ( Decree on Priestly Training ) Apostolicam actuositatem ( Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity ) Ad gentes ( Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church ) Presbyterorum ordinis ( Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests ) Chronological list of Ecumenical councils Part of a series on Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church Renaissance depiction of the Council of Trent. Classical Antiquity ( c. 50 ) Jerusalem Late Antiquity ( 325 -- 451 ) Nicaea I Constantinople I Ephesus Chalcedon Early Middle Ages ( 553 -- 870 ) Constantinople II Constantinople III Nicaea II Constantinople IV High and Late Middle Ages ( 1122 -- 1517 ) Lateran I Lateran II Lateran III Lateran IV Lyon I Lyon II Vienne Constance Florence Lateran V Early Modern and Contemporary ( 1545 -- ) Trent Vatican I Vatican II Catholicism portal The Second Vatican Council, fully the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican ( Latin : Concilium Oecumenicum Vaticanum Secundum ) and informally known as Vatican II, addressed relations between the Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty - first and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter 's Basilica in the Vatican. The council, through the Holy See, formally opened under the pontificate of Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December 1965. Several changes resulted from the council, including the renewal of consecrated life with a revised charism, ecumenical efforts towards dialogue with other religions, and the universal call to holiness, which according to Pope Paul VI was `` the most characteristic and ultimate purpose of the teachings of the Council ''. According to Pope Benedict XVI, the most important and essential message of the council is `` the Paschal Mystery as the center of what it is to be Christian and therefore of the Christian life, the Christian year, the Christian seasons ''. Other changes which followed the council included the widespread use of vernacular languages in the Mass instead of Latin, the subtle disuse of ornate clerical regalia, the revision of Eucharistic prayers, the abbreviation of the liturgical calendar, the ability to celebrate the Mass versus populum ( with the officiant facing the congregation ), as well as ad orientem ( facing the `` East '' and the Crucifix ), and modern aesthetic changes encompassing contemporary Catholic liturgical music and artwork. Many of these changes remain divisive among the Catholic faithful. Of those who took part in the council 's opening session, four have become popes : Giovanni Battista Cardinal Montini, who on succeeding John XXIII took the name Pope Paul VI ; Bishop Albino Luciani, the future John Paul I ; Bishop Karol Wojtyła, who became John Paul II ; and Joseph Ratzinger, present as a theological consultant, who became Benedict XVI. In the 1950s, theological and biblical studies in the Catholic Church had begun to sway away from the Neo-Scholasticism and biblical literalism which a reaction to Catholic modernism had enforced since the First Vatican Council. This shift could be seen in theologians such as Karl Rahner, Michael Herbert, and John Courtney Murray who looked to integrate modern human experience with church principles based on Jesus Christ, as well as others such as Yves Congar, Joseph Ratzinger and Henri de Lubac, who looked to an accurate understanding of scripture and the early Church Fathers as a source of renewal ( ressourcement ). At the same time, the world 's bishops faced challenges driven by political, social, economic, and technological change. Some of these bishops sought new ways of addressing those challenges. The First Vatican Council had been held nearly a century before but had been cut short when the Italian Army entered the city of Rome at the end of Italian unification. As a result, only deliberations on the role of the papacy and the congruent relationship of faith and reason were completed, with examination of pastoral issues concerning the direction of the Church left unaddressed. Pope John XXIII, however, gave notice of his intention to convene the Council on 25 January 1959, less than three months after his election in October 1958. This sudden announcement, which caught the Curia by surprise, caused little initial official comment from Church insiders. Reaction to the announcement was widespread and largely positive from both religious and secular leaders outside the Catholic Church, and the council was formally summoned by the apostolic constitution Humanae Salutis on 25 December 1961. In various discussions before the Council convened, John XXIII said that it was time to `` open the windows ( of the Church ) and let in some fresh air. '' He invited other Christians outside the Catholic Church to send observers to the Council. Acceptances came from both the Eastern Orthodox Church and Protestant denominations as internal observers, but these observers did not cast votes in the approbation of the conciliar documents. Contents 1 Chronology 1.1 Preparation 1.1. 1 Opening 1.1. 2 Commissions 1.1. 3 Issues 1.2 Second period : 1963 1.3 Third period : 1964 1.4 Fourth period : 1965 2 Key content and issues 2.1 Liturgy 2.2 Ecclesiology 2.3 Scripture and divine revelation 2.4 Bishops 3 Objections to the council 4 Legacy 5 Gallery 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 Bibliography 10 Further reading 10.1 Vatican texts 10.2 Support 10.3 Criticism 11 External links Chronology The interior of Saint Peter 's Basilica. Prior to these years, the basilica was illuminated using beeswax candles, suspended on high chandeliers. Preparation Pope John XXIII 's announcement on 25 January 1959 of his intention to call a general council came as a surprise even to the cardinals present. The Pontiff pre-announced the council under a full moon when the faithful with their candlelights gathered in St. Peter 's square and jokingly noted about the brightness of the moon. After which, he instructed the people to go back home and `` give their children a goodnight kiss, from the Pope himself ''. He had tested the idea only ten days before with one of them, his Cardinal Secretary of State Domenico Tardini, who gave enthusiastic support to the idea. Although the Pope later said the idea came to him in a flash in his conversation with Tardini, two cardinals had earlier attempted to interest him in the idea. They were two of the most conservative, Ernesto Ruffini and Alfredo Ottaviani, who had already in 1948 proposed the idea to Pope Pius XII and who put it before John XXIII on 27 October 1958. Actual preparations for the Council took more than two years, and included work from 10 specialised commissions, people for mass media and Christian Unity, and a Central Commission for overall coordination. These groups, composed mostly of members of the Roman Curia, produced 987 proposed constituting sessions, making it the largest gathering in any council in church history. ( This compares to Vatican I, where 737 attended, mostly from Europe. ) Attendance varied in later sessions from 2,100 to over 2,300. In addition, a varying number of periti ( Latin : `` experts '' ) were available for theological consultation -- a group that turned out to have a major influence as the council went forward. Seventeen Orthodox Churches and Protestant denominations sent observers. More than three dozen representatives of other Christian communities were present at the opening session, and the number grew to nearly 100 by the end of the 4th Council Sessions. A Catholic priest celebrating Tridentine Mass, the form of the Mass prevalent before the Council, during the elevation of the chalice after the consecration. Opening Pope John XXIII opened the Council on 11 October 1962 in a public session and read the declaration Gaudet Mater Ecclesia before the Council Fathers. What is needed at the present time is a new enthusiasm, a new joy and serenity of mind in the unreserved acceptance by all of the entire Christian faith, without forfeiting that accuracy and precision in its presentation which characterized the proceedings of the Council of Trent and the First Vatican Council. What is needed, and what everyone imbued with a truly Christian, Catholic and apostolic spirit craves today, is that this doctrine shall be more widely known, more deeply understood, and more penetrating in its effects on men 's moral lives. What is needed is that this certain and immutable doctrine, to which the faithful owe obedience, be studied afresh and reformulated in contemporary terms. For this deposit of faith, or truths which are contained in our time - honored teaching is one thing ; the manner in which these truths are set forth ( with their meaning preserved intact ) is something else. Roncalli, Angelo Giuseppe, `` Opening address '', Council, Rome, IT. 13 October 1962 marked the initial working session of the Council. That day 's agenda included the election for members of the ten conciliar commissions. Each would have sixteen elected and eight appointed members, and were expected to do most of the work of the Council. It had been expected that the members of the preparatory commissions, where the Curia was heavily represented, would be confirmed as the majorities on the conciliar commissions. Senior French Cardinal Achille Liénart addressed the Council, saying that the bishops could not intelligently vote for strangers. He asked that the vote be postponed to give all the bishops a chance to draw up their own lists. German Cardinal Josef Frings seconded that proposal, and the vote was postponed. The first meeting of the Council adjourned after only fifteen minutes. Commissions A contemporary Mass in modern practice. As versus populum became the common posture and gesture practised after the council. Note that the priest faces the congregation, while the vestments and religious artwork are less intense and ornate. The bishops met to discuss the membership of the commissions, along with other issues, both in national and regional groups, as well as in gatherings that were more informal. The schemata ( Latin for drafts ) from the preparatory sessions were thrown out, and new ones were created. When the council met on 16 October 1962, a new slate of commission members was presented and approved by the Council. One important change was a significant increase in membership from Central and Northern Europe, instead of countries such as Spain or Italy. More than 100 bishops from Africa, Asia, and Latin America were Dutch or Belgian and tended to associate with the bishops from those countries. These groups were led by Cardinals Bernardus Johannes Alfrink of the Netherlands and Leo Suenens of Belgium. Issues After adjournment on 8 December, work began on preparations for the sessions scheduled for 1963. These preparations, however, were halted upon the death of Pope John XXIII on 3 June 1963, since an ecumenical council is automatically interrupted and suspended upon the death of the Pope who convened it, until the next Pope orders the council to be continued or dissolved. Pope Paul VI was elected on 21 June 1963 and immediately announced that the Council would continue. Second period : 1963 In the months prior to the second period, Pope Paul VI worked to correct some of the problems of organization and procedure that had been discovered during the first period. This included inviting additional lay Catholic and non-Catholic observers, reducing the number of proposed schemata to seventeen ( which were made more general, in keeping with the pastoral nature of the council ) and later eliminating the requirement of secrecy surrounding general sessions. Pope Paul 's opening address on 29 September 1963 stressed the pastoral nature of the council, and set out four purposes for it : to define more fully the nature of the Church and the role of the bishop ; to renew the Church ; to restore unity among all Christians, including seeking pardon for Catholic contributions to separation ; and to start a dialogue with the contemporary world. During this period, the bishops approved the constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, and the decree on social communication, Inter mirifica. Work went forward with the schemata on the Church, bishops and dioceses, and ecumenism. On 8 November 1963, Josef Frings criticized the Holy Office, and drew an articulate and impassioned defense by its Secretary, Alfredo Ottaviani. This exchange is often considered the most dramatic of the council ( Cardinal Frings ' theological adviser was the young Joseph Ratzinger, who would later as a Cardinal head the same department of the Holy See, and from 2005 -- 13 reign as Pope Benedict XVI ). The second period ended on 4 December. Pope Paul VI presiding over the introductory ingress of the council, flanked by Camerlengo Benedetto Aloisi Masella and two Papal gentlemen. Third period : 1964 In the time between the second and third periods, the proposed schemata were further revised on the basis of comments from the Council Fathers. A number of topics were reduced to statements of fundamental propositions that could gain approval during the third period, with postconciliar commissions handling implementation of these measures. At the end of the second period, Cardinal Leo Joseph Suenens of Belgium had asked the other bishops : `` Why are we even discussing the reality of the church when half of the church is not even represented here ?, '' referring to women. In response, 15 women were appointed as auditors in September 1964. Eventually 23 women were auditors at the Second Vatican Council, including 10 women religious. The auditors had no official role in the deliberations, although they attended the meetings of subcommittees working on council documents, particularly texts that dealt with the laity. They also met together on a weekly basis to read draft documents and comment on them. During the third period, which began on 14 September 1964, the Council Fathers worked through a large volume of proposals. Schemata on ecumenism ( Unitatis redintegratio ) ; the official view on Protestant and Eastern Orthodox `` separated brethren '', the Eastern Rite churches ( Orientalium Ecclesiarum ) ; and the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church ( Lumen gentium ) ' were approved and promulgated by the Pope ′. Schemata on the life and ministry of priests and the missionary activity of the Church were rejected and sent back to commissions for complete rewriting. Work continued on the remaining schemata, in particular those on the Church in the modern world and religious freedom. There was controversy over revisions of the decree on religious freedom and the failure to vote on it during the third period, but Pope Paul promised that this schema would be the first to be reviewed in the next period. Pope Paul closed the third period on 21 November by announcing a change in the Eucharistic fast and formally reaffirming Mary as `` Mother of the Church ''. Fourth period : 1965 Eleven schemata remained unfinished at the end of the third period, and commissions worked to give them their final form. Schema 13, on the Church in the modern world, was revised by a commission that worked with the assistance of laymen. Pope Paul VI opened the last period of the Council on 14 September 1965 with the establishment of the Synod of Bishops. This more permanent structure was intended to preserve close cooperation of the bishops with the Pope after the council. The first business of the fourth period was the consideration of the decree on religious freedom, Dignitatis humanae, one of the more controversial of the conciliar documents. The vote was 1,997 for to 224 against, a margin that widened even further by the time the bishops finally signed the decree. The principal work of the rest of the period was work on three documents, all of which were approved by the Council Fathers. The lengthened and revised pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world, Gaudium et spes, was followed by decrees on missionary activity, Ad gentes and the ministry and life of priests, Presbyterorum ordinis. The council also gave final approval to other documents that had been considered in earlier sessions. They included the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation ( Dei verbum ), decrees on the pastoral office of bishops ( Christus Dominus ), the life of persons in religious orders ( expanded and modified from earlier sessions, finally titled Perfectae caritatis ), education for the priesthood ( Optatam totius ), Christian education ( Gravissimum educationis ), and the role of the laity ( Apostolicam actuositatem ). One of the more controversial documents was Nostra aetate, which stated that the Jews of the time of Christ, taken indiscriminately, and all Jews today are no more responsible for the death of Christ than Christians. True, the Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ ; still, what happened in His passion can not be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today. Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures. All should see to it, then, that in catechetical work or in the preaching of the word of God they do not teach anything that does not conform to the truth of the Gospel and the spirit of Christ. Furthermore, in her rejection of every persecution against any man, the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel 's spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone. See also : Christian -- Jewish reconciliation and Relations between Catholicism and Judaism A major event of the final days of the council was the act of Pope Paul and Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras of a joint expression of regret for many of the past actions that had led up to the Great Schism between the western and eastern churches. `` The old story of the Samaritan has been the model of the spirituality of the council '' ( Paul VI., address, 7 December ) : On 8 December, the Council was formally closed, with the bishops professing their obedience to the Council 's decrees. To help carry forward the work of the Council, Pope Paul : had earlier formed a Papal Commission for the Media of Social Communication to assist bishops with the pastoral use of these media ; declared a jubilee from 1 January to 26 May 1966 ( later extended to 8 December 1966 ) to urge all Catholics to study and accept the decisions of the council and apply them in spiritual renewal ; changed in 1965 the title and procedures of the Holy Office, giving it the name of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as well as the titles and competences of other departments of the Roman curia ; made permanent the secretariates for the Promotion of Christian Unity, for Non-Christian Religions, and for Non-Believers. Key content and issues The abolition of Friday of Sorrows of the Virgin Mary ( not to be confused with Good Friday which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus ) as unnecessary repetition before Palm Sunday is an example of changes in the Liturgical Calendar after the council. The Virgin of Hope of Macarena, in her imperial regalia, Spain. Liturgy The first matter covered by the council was the liturgy, to emphasize `` the primacy of God '' and `` the primacy of adoration, '' according to Pope Benedict XVI. He said that the most important essential idea of the Council itself is `` Paschal Mystery ( Christ 's passion, death and resurrection ) as the center of what it is to be Christian and therefore of the Christian life, the Christian year, the Christian seasons, expressed in Eastertide and on Sunday which is always the day of the Resurrection. '' Thus, the liturgy, especially the Eucharist, which makes the Paschal Mystery present, is `` the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed ; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows. '' The matter that had the most immediate effect on the lives of individual Catholics, was the revision of the liturgy. The central idea was that there ought to be lay participation in the liturgy which means they `` take part fully aware of what they are doing, actively engaged in the rite, and enriched by its effects. '' ( SC 11 ) In the mid-1960s, permissions were granted to celebrate most of the Mass in vernacular languages, including the canon from 1967 onwards. The amount of Scripture read during Mass was greatly expanded, through the introduction of multiple year lectionaries. Neither the Second Vatican Council nor the subsequent revision of the Roman Missal abolished Latin as the liturgical language of the Roman Rite : the official text of the Roman Missal, on which translations into vernacular languages are to be based, continues to be in Latin and it can still be used in the celebration. Ecclesiology Perhaps the most famous and most influential product of the council is the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen gentium. In its first chapter, titled `` The Mystery of the Church, '' is the famous statement that :... the sole Church of Christ which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic, which our Saviour, after His Resurrection, commissioned Peter to shepherd, and him and the other apostles to extend and direct with authority, which He erected for all ages as ' the pillar and mainstay of the truth. ' This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him ( Lumen gentium, 8 ). The document immediately adds, `` Nevertheless, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside its visible confines. '' The other characteristics of that period were described by Belgian Bishop Émile - Joseph De Smedt as `` legalism '' and `` clericalism, '' in what has been described as `` one of the most dramatic moments of Vatican II. '' According to Pope Paul VI, `` the most characteristic and ultimate purpose of the teachings of the Council '' is the universal call to holiness : John Paul II calls this `` an intrinsic and essential aspect of ( the Council Fathers ' ) teaching on the Church. '' all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity ; by this holiness as such a more human manner of living is promoted in this earthly society. ( Lumen gentium, 40 ) Thus in his plan for the millennium, Novo Millennio Ineunte, John Paul II said that `` all pastoral initiatives must be set in relation to holiness '' as the first priority of the Church. Scripture and Divine Revelation Main article : Dei verbum The Second Vatican Council encouraged the scriptural reading of the Bible rather than relying solely on devotional writings, booklets and the lives of the Catholic saints. The council sought to revive the central role of Scripture in the theological and devotional life of the Church, building upon the work of earlier popes in crafting a modern approach to Scriptural analysis and interpretation. A new approach to interpretation was approved by the bishops. The Church was to continue to provide versions of the Bible in the `` mother tongues '' of the faithful, and both clergy and laity were to continue to make Bible study a central part of their lives. This affirmed the importance of Sacred Scripture as attested by Providentissimus Deus by Pope Leo XIII and the writings of the Saints, Doctors, and Popes throughout Church history but also approved historically conditioned interpretation of Scripture as presented in Pius XII 's 1943 encyclical Divino afflante Spiritu. Bishops The role of the bishops was brought into renewed prominence, especially when seen collectively, as a college that has succeeded to that of the apostles in teaching and governing the Church. This college was headed by the Pope. Objections to the Council An illustrated 1911 Roman Missal reprint from its 1884 edition. The questioning of the validity of the Second Vatican Council continues to be a contending point of rejection and conflict among various religious communities, some of which are not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. In particular, two schools of thought may be discerned : some Traditionalist Catholics, who claim that the modernising reforms that resulted both directly or indirectly from the council consequently brought detrimental effects, heretical acts, and indifference to the customs, beliefs, and pious practices of the Church before 1962. In addition, they say there is a doctrinal contradiction between the council and earlier papal statements regarding faith, morals and doctrine declared prior to the council itself. In addition, they claim that the council decentralised the previous notion of Catholic Church 's supremacy over other religions while demoralising its longstanding pious practices of religiosity. They assert that, since there were no dogmatic proclamations defined within the documents of the council, such documents are not infallible and therefore not canonically binding for faithful Roman Catholics, most notably when such concilliar documents give way, as they say, to loose implementation of longstanding upheld Catholic doctrine previously sanctioned by former Popes prior to 1962. In light of this, most Traditionalist Catholics often exclusively adhere to the 1917 Code of Canon Law. Sedevacantists go beyond this in asserting that after breaking with Catholic tradition and espousing heresy, present Popes and on forward can not legitimately claim the Papacy, and therefore it remains vacant, until another papal claimant formally abandons the Vatican II council and re-establishes former traditional norms ( prior to 1962 ). The most recent edition of 1983 Code of Canon Law states that Catholics may not disregard the teaching of an ecumenical council even if it does not propose such as definitive. Accordingly, it also maintains that present living Pope alone judges the criterion of membership for being in communio with the Church. The present canon law further articulates : Although not an assent of faith, a religious submission of the intellect and will must be given to a Doctrine which the Supreme Pontiff or the College of Bishops declares concerning faith or morals when they exercise the authentic Magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim it by definitive act ; therefore, the Christian faithful are to take care to avoid those things which do not agree with it. Legacy Main articles : Post Vatican II history of the Catholic Church and Spirit of Vatican II The head cornette, worn by a Polish nun habit in 1939, was later abandoned in 1964 after the sweeping aesthetic changes brought by the Second Vatican Council. In addition to general spiritual guidance, the Second Vatican Council produced very specific recommendations, such as in the document Gaudiem et Spes : `` Any act of war aimed indiscriminately at the destruction of entire cities of extensive areas along with their population is a crime against God and man himself. It merits unequivocal and unhesitating condemnation. '' By `` the spirit of Vatican II '' is often meant promoting teachings and intentions attributed to the Second Vatican Council in ways not limited to literal readings of its documents, spoken of as the `` letter '' of the Council ( cf. Saint Paul 's phrase, `` the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life '' ). The spirit of Vatican II is invoked for a great variety of ideas and attitudes. Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong used it with regard merely to an openness to dialogue with others, saying : `` We are guided by the spirit of Vatican II : only dialogue and negotiation can solve conflicts. '' In contrast, Michael Novak described it as a spirit that :... sometimes soared far beyond the actual, hard - won documents and decisions of Vatican II.... It was as though the world ( or at least the history of the Church ) were now to be divided into only two periods, pre-Vatican II and post-Vatican II. Everything ' pre ' was then pretty much dismissed, so far as its authority mattered. For the most extreme, to be a Catholic now meant to believe more or less anything one wished to believe, or at least in the sense in which one personally interpreted it. One could be a Catholic ' in spirit '. One could take Catholic to mean the ' culture ' in which one was born, rather than to mean a creed making objective and rigorous demands. One could imagine Rome as a distant and irrelevant anachronism, embarrassment, even adversary. Rome as ' them '. Such views of the Second Vatican Council were condemned by the Church 's hierarchy, and the works of theologians who were active in the Council or who closely adhered to the Council 's aspect of reform ( such as Hans Küng ) have often been criticized by the Church for espousing a belief system that the hierarchy considers radical and misguided. As Dei Verbum reads, `` Therefore, following in the footsteps of the Council of Trent and of the First Vatican Council, this present council wishes to set forth authentic doctrine on divine revelation and how it is handed on... '', Vatican II did not deny previous councils ' correctness. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of Vatican II, in October 2011, Pope Benedict XVI declared the period from October 2012 to the Solemnity of Christ the King at the end of November 2013 a `` Year of Faith '', as :... a good opportunity to help people understand that the texts bequeathed by the Council Fathers, in the words of John Paul II, ' have lost nothing of their value or brilliance. They need to be read correctly, to be widely known and taken to heart as important and normative texts of the Magisterium, within the Church 's Tradition... I feel more than ever in duty bound to point to the Council as the great grace bestowed on the Church in the twentieth century : there we find a sure compass by which to take our bearings in the century now beginning. Gallery This section contains what may be an unencyclopedic or excessive gallery of images. Galleries containing indiscriminate images of the article subject are discouraged ; please improve or remove the section accordingly. ( February 2017 ) Council Fathers with their secretaries leaving St. Peter 's Basilica Bishops leaving St. Peter 's Second Vatican Council Bishops discussing major issues during the Second Vatican Council Dispersion of Bishops during the Second Vatican Council The opening of the Second Session of Vatican II See also Catholicism portal Central Preparatory Commission Dabru Emet Notes Jump up ^ There has been speculation that the Vatican somehow assured the Russian Orthodox Church that communism and the Soviet State were topics that would not be raised at the council. However J.O. Berlioz states that the real issue was the desire of the Russian Orthodox to be invited directly, instead of through the Ecumenical Patriarch. Jump up ^ Historically speaking, `` Latin Mass '' could be applied also to the various forms of Pre-Tridentine Mass from about the year 370, when the Church in Rome changed from Greek to Latin. Jump up ^ Representatives of this school of thought include Brunero Gherardini, who in 2009 petitioned the Pope for a review of Vatican II ; Paolo Pasqualucci, who with other scholars subscribed Gherardini 's petition ; Roberto de Mattei, who wrote a history of CVII ( `` Il Concilio Vaticano II. Una storia mai scritta '' ) References Jump up ^ Cheney, David M. `` Second Vatican Council ''. Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved 18 May 2011. Jump up ^ Pope Paul VI ( 21 November 1964 ). `` Lumen gentium ''. The Holy See. Retrieved 7 June 2016. Jump up ^ Gaudium et spes ( Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World ), II Vatican council, Rome, IT : Vatican. ^ Jump up to : Motu Proprio Sanctitas clarior ^ Jump up to : `` Meeting with the Parish Priests and the Clergy of the Rome Diocese ( 14 February 2013 ) - BENEDICT XVI ''. Jump up ^ Various feasts and devotional celebrations related to popular piety were revised or abbreviated as a result of the council. Examples of this are the revision of the novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help and the celebration of Friday of Sorrows in Lent. Jump up ^ Heraty 1967, p. 563, Vatican Council II. Jump up ^ Alberigo, Giuseppe ; Sherry, Matthew ( 2006 ). A Brief History of Vatican II. Maryknoll : Orbis Books. p. 69. ISBN 1 - 57075 - 638 - 4. Jump up ^ Keck, Doug, Executive Producer ( ed. ), Father Georg Ratzinger : Pope Benedict XVI : A Profile ( documentary ), EWTN. Jump up ^ Bokenkotter, Thomas ( 2005 ). A Concise History of the Catholic Church. New York : Image. p. 337. ISBN 0 - 385 - 51613 - 4. Jump up ^ Hahnenberg 2007, p. 44. Jump up ^ Alberigo & Sherry 2006, p. 1. Jump up ^ Alberigo & Sherry 2006, pp. 4 -- 7. Jump up ^ `` Vatican II : 40 years later ''. National Catholic Register. Jump up ^ `` THE BULL `` HUMANAE SALUTIS '' BY JOHN XXIII TO SUMMON THE ECUMENIC COUNCIL II ``. Archived from the original on February 8, 2006. Jump up ^ Sullivan 2002, p. 17. ^ Jump up to : Sullivan 2002, p. 21. Jump up ^ Albiergo, `` IV, The External Climate '', The History of Vatican II, 1, p. 404. Jump up ^ O'Malley, John W, SJ ( 2010 ), What Happened at Vatican II, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978 - 0 - 674 - 05675 - 6. Jump up ^ Walsh, Michael ( 2006 ), `` The Religious Ferment of the Sixties '', in McLeod, Hugh, History of Christianity, 9, World Christianities c. 1914 -- c. 2000, Cambridge University Press, pp. 307 -- 8, ISBN 978 - 0 - 521 - 81500 - 0. Jump up ^ Heraty 1967, p. 563, Vatican Council II. Jump up ^ Bokenkotter, Thomas ( 2005 ). A Concise History of the Catholic Church. New York : Image. p. 413. ISBN 0 - 385 - 51613 - 4. ^ Jump up to : Alberigo & Sherry 2006, p. 24. ^ Jump up to : Sullivan 2002, p. 27. Jump up ^ Hahnenberg 2007, p. 4. Jump up ^ Heraty 1967, p. 563. Jump up ^ Sullivan 2002, p. 28. Jump up ^ `` CIC can. 340 ''. Code of Canon Law. Rome, IT : Vatican. Retrieved 1 July 2012. ^ Jump up to : Heraty 1967, pp. 565 -- 66. ^ Jump up to : `` Women in the Church Since Vatican II : From November 1, 1986 ''. 1 November 1986. ^ Jump up to : `` Remembering the women of Vatican II ''. 12 October 2012. Jump up ^ `` Home ''. 7 June 2016. Jump up ^ Heraty 1967, pp. XIV : 566 -- 67 Jump up ^ David Rosen. `` '' Nostra aetate ``, Forty Years After Vatican II. Present & Future Perspectives ''. Retrieved April 28, 2014. Jump up ^ Montini, Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria ( 28 October 1965 ). `` Nostra Aetate '' ( Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-christian religions ). Rome, IT : Holy See. Retrieved 1 January 2009. Jump up ^ Heraty 1967, pp. 567 -- 68. Jump up ^ `` Sacrosanctum concilium ''. Jump up ^ Encyclopaedia ( Online ed. ), Britannica. Jump up ^ Kennedy, Philip ( 15 March 2011 ). Christianity : An Introduction. I.B. Tauris. pp. 247 --. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84885 - 383 - 6. Four hundred years after the Reformation, Vatican II reversed all this and decreed that the assembled people of God celebrate the liturgy ; that the texts of worship may be translated into vernacular languages ; that the assembled people could drink from the communion cup ; that the reading of scripture was to be an essential element of all worship ; and that the Eucharist was to be regarded as the source and summit of the Church 's life : Ubi Eucharistia, ibi Ecclesia -- wherever the Eucharist is, there too is the Church. Such as view was entirely alien to pre-conciliar Roman theology which was more comfortable with the idea : ' Wherever the Pope is, there too is the Church. ' Much of this was entirely consonant with Protestant sensibilities and explains why Vatican II was a milestone for Catholic, Protestants, the Orthodox, and all religions. Jump up ^ Redemptionis sacramentum, Rome, IT : Vatican, p. 112, Except in the case of celebrations of the Mass that are scheduled by the ecclesiastical authorities to take place in the language of the people, Priests are always and everywhere permitted to celebrate Mass in Latin. Jump up ^ `` Anniversary Thoughts ''. America Magazine. 2002 - 10 - 07. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 18. Jump up ^ Novo Millenio Ineunte Jump up ^ `` Heresies '', Sedevacantist Jump up ^ `` Is Vatican II Heretical or a Manifestation of the Holy Spirit ? ''. Tradition in action. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2013. Jump up ^ Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. Jump up ^ `` Canon 752 '', Code of Canon Law, Rome, IT : Vatican. Jump up ^ Professio fidei ( Profession of Faith ), Rome, IT : Vatican, 1998. Jump up ^ `` PASTORAL CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN WORLD GAUDIUM ET SPES PROMULGATED BY HIS HOLINESS, POPE PAUL VI ON DECEMBER 7, 1965 '' Jump up ^ `` James Hitchcock, The History of Vatican II, Lecture 6 : The Effects of Council Part II ''. Home.comcast.net. Retrieved 1 July 2012. Jump up ^ Avery Dulles, Vatican II : The Myth and the Reality Jump up ^ 2 Corinthians 3 : 6 Jump up ^ Gheddo, Piero. `` Gianni Criveller, Bishop John Tong of Hong Kong, `` man of dialogue, '' but with `` non-negotiable principles '' ``. Asianews.it. Retrieved 1 July 2012. Jump up ^ `` Introduction to The Open Church '' ( Millennium ed. ). 24 November 2003. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2012. Jump up ^ Ratzinger, Joseph ( 2011 - 10 - 11 ), Porta fidei ( motu proprio ), Rome, IT : Vatican. Bibliography Alberigo, Giuseppe ; Sherry, Matthew ( 2006 ), A Brief History of Vatican II, Maryknoll : Orbis Books, ISBN 1 - 57075 - 638 - 4. Gherardini, Brunero ( 2011 ), Il discorso mancato ( The missing discourse ), Lindau. Hahnenberg, Edward ( 2007 ), A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II, City : Saint Anthony Messenger Press, ISBN 0 - 86716 - 552 - 9. Heraty, J, ed. ( 1967 ), `` Vatican Council II '', New Catholic Encyclopedia, XIV, Faculty of Catholic University of America ( 1 ed. ), New York : McGraw - Hill, ISBN 978 - 0 - 07 - 010235 - 4, OCLC 34184550. Sullivan, Maureen ( 2002 ), 101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II, New York : Paulist Press, ISBN 0 - 8091 - 4133 - 7. Further reading This article 's further reading may not follow Wikipedia 's content policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing less relevant or redundant publications with the same point of view ; or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. ( October 2016 ) Amerio, Romano ( 1996 ). Iota Unum. Kansas City : Sarto House. ISBN 0 - 9639032 - 1 - 7. van Bühren, Ralf ( 2008 ). Kunst und Kirche im 20. Jahrhundert. Die Rezeption des Zweiten Vatikanischen Konzils ( Culture and Church in the 20th Century : The Reception of the Second Vatican Council ) ( in German ). Paderborn : Schöningh. ISBN 978 - 3 - 506 - 76388 - 4. Bredeck, Michael ( 2007 ). Das Zweite Vatikanum als Konzil des Aggiornamento : zur hermeneutischen Grundlegung einer theologischen Konzilsinterpretation ( From II Vatican to the Council of Aggionamento : on the hermenetical grounds for a theological interpretation of the council ) ( in German ). Paderborn : Schöningh. ISBN 978 - 3 - 506 - 76317 - 4. Gherardini, Brunero ( 2011 ). `` Sull'indole pastorale del Vaticano II : una valutazione ''. In Lanzetta, Serafino. Concilio Vaticano II, un concilio pastorale. Analisi storico - filosofico - teologica ( Council Vatican II, a pastoral council : analysis historical - philosophical - theological ) ( in Italian ). Frigento, IT : Casa Mariana Editrice. ISBN 978 - 88 - 905611 - 2 - 2. -- -- -- ( 2012 ), Il Vaticano II. Alle radici d'un equivoco ( The Vatican II : to the roots of a mistake ), Torino : Lindau, ISBN 978 - 88 - 7180 - 994 - 6. O'Malley, John W. ( 2008 ). What Happened at Vatican II. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 674 - 03169 - 2. Kelly, Joseph F. ( 2009 ). The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church : a History. Collegeville : Liturgical Press. ISBN 0 - 8146 - 5376 - 6. Likoudis, James ( 2006 ). The Pope, the Council, and the Mass. Emmaus Road Publishing. ISBN 978 - 1 - 931018 - 34 - 0. Linden, Ian ( 2009 ). Global Catholicism : diversity and change since Vatican II. 41 Great Russell St, London : Hurst & Co. p. 337. ISBN 978 - 1 - 85065 - 957 - 0. Orsy, Ladislas ( 2009 ). Receiving the Council : Theological and Canonical Insights and Debates. Collegeville : Liturgical Press. ISBN 0 - 8146 - 5377 - 4. Sinke Guimarães, Atila ( 1997 ). In the Murky Waters of Vatican II. Metairie : MAETA. ISBN 1 - 889168 - 06 - 8. Wiltgen, Ralph M. ( 1991 ). The Rhine flows into the Tiber. TAN books. ISBN 0 - 89555 - 186 - 1. Vatican texts Index to Vatican II Texts from the Vatican Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World -- Gaudium et spes, Holy See, 7 December 1965, retrieved 1 January 2009 Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation -- Dei verbum, Holy See, 18 November 1965, retrieved 1 January 2009 Dogmatic Constitution on the Church -- Lumen gentium, Holy See, 21 November 1964, retrieved 1 January 2009 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy -- Sacrosanctum Concilium, Holy See, 21 November 1964, retrieved 1 January 2009 Declaration on Christian Education -- Gravissimum educationis, Holy See, 28 October 1965, retrieved 20 June 2015 Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions -- Nostra aetate, Holy See, 28 October 1965, retrieved 20 June 2015 Declaration on Religious Freedom -- Dignitatis humanae, Holy See, 28 October 1965, retrieved 20 June 2015 Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church -- Ad gentes, Holy See, 7 December 1965, retrieved 20 June 2015 Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests -- Presbyterorum Ordinis, Holy See, 7 December 1965, retrieved 20 June 2015 Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity -- Apostolicam Actuositatem, Holy See, 18 November 1965, retrieved 20 June 2015 Decree on Priestly Training -- Optatam Totius, Holy See, 28 October 1965, retrieved 20 June 2015 Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life -- Perfectae Caritatis, Holy See, 28 October 1965, retrieved 20 June 2015 Decree concerning the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church -- Christus Dominus, Holy See, 28 October 1965, retrieved 20 June 2015 Decree on Ecumenism -- Unitatis Redintegratio, Holy See, 21 November 1964, retrieved 20 June 2015 Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite -- Orientalium Ecclesiarum, Holy See, 21 November 1964, retrieved 20 June 2015 Decree on the Media of Social Communications -- Inter mirifica, Holy See, 4 December 1963, retrieved 20 June 2015 Overview of the Decrees of the Council Vatican II Texts from the Eternal Word Television Network Vatican II Texts from Christus Rex Council Vatican II 's Multilingual Opera Omnia Conciliaria : Fifty Years Ago Today at the Second Vatican Council ( Reporting and original source documents from the Council ) Speech of Pope Paul VI at the General Audience of 12 January 1966 On the correct interpretation of the Second Vatican Council ( original text in Italian ). Support Why was Vatican II needed ? Why we need it today, Vatican II - Voice of the Church. Making the True Vatican II Our Own, Christendom Awake. Criticism What did the Second Vatican Council do for us ?, Christendom Awake. Gherardini, Brunero, Church - Tradition - Magisterium, Centre for Mediaeval Studies Leonard Boyle. Vatican II in the light of Tradition and Magisterium of the Catholic Church. -- -- -- ( 2011 ), Sull'indole pastorale del Vaticano II ( On the Pastoral Nature of Vatican II : An Evaluation ), Frigento, IT : Centre for Mediaeval Studies Leonard Boyle. -- -- --, Petition to the Holy Father Benedict XVI for a review of Vatican II, Centre for Mediaeval Studies Leonard Boyle. Advocates a qualified study of Vatican II in view of a possible reassessment. -- -- --, The Ecumenical Vatican Council II. A Much Needed Discussion, Centre for Mediaeval Studies Leonard Boyle, ISBN 9788890177064. The book was written `` to stop the conventional hand - clapping and any preconceived interpretation of Vatican II and to open a far - ranging debate on its historical, theological, and dogmatic significance '' ( Gherardini ( 2011 ), p. 48 ). Taouk, Fr. Raymond, `` What are Roman Catholics to think of Vatican II ? On the doctrinal authority of the pastoral council '', Modern problems, Catholic Apologetics. 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Question: where did the second vatican council take place
Answer: St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican