THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL

Vatican II Council was an Ecumenical meeting of all the Catholics Bishops around

the world and Prelates held in the Vatican City. A combined total of 2865 Bishops

and prelates attended the council. The council was first announced by St. John

XXIII, Pope on 25th January 1959 on the Feast of Conversion of St. Paul. With a

message of “Opening the window so that the fresh air may enter”. And on 11th

October 1962 the Council was opened by Pope John XXIII, Saint in the Basilica of

St.Peter, Vatican and closed the first session on 8 th December 1962. St. John

XXIII, Pope, was thus the leader of this Ecumenical meeting and after his death St.

Paul VI, Pope, reconvened the Council which had three more sessions in the fall of

each succeeding year. On 7th December 1965.

The Vatican II Council had the following Documents:

1) THE CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY, Sacrosantum

concilium. 4th December 1963

2) DECREE ON THE MEANS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION, Inter mirifica.

4th December 1963

3) DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH. Lumen Gentium. 21st

November 1964.

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4) DECREE ON THE CATHOLIC EASTERN CHURCHES. Orientalium

redintegratio. 21st November 1964

5) DECREE ON ECUMENISM. Unitatis redintegratio. 21st November 1964

6) DECREE ON THE PASTORAL OFFICE OF BISHOPS IN THE CHURCH.

Christus Dominus. 28th October 1965

7) DECREE ON THE UP-TO-DATE RENEWAL OF RELIGIOUS LIFE.

Perfectae caritatis. 28th October 1965

8) DECREE ON THE TRAINING OF PRIEST. Optatam totius. 28th October 1965

9) DECLARATION ON CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. Gravissimum educationis.

28th October 1965

10) DECLARATION ON THE RELATION OF THE CHURCH TO NON-

CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS, Nostra aetate. 28th October 1965

11) DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON DIVINE REVELATION, Dei verbum.

18th November 1965

12) DECREE ON THE APOSTOLATE OF THE LAY PEOPLE, Apostolicam

actuositatem. 18th November 1965

13) DECLARATION ON THE RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, Dignitatis humanae.

7th December 1965

14) DECREE ON CHURCH’S MISSIONARY ACTIVITY, Ad gentes divinitus.

7th December 1965

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15) DECREE ON THE MINISTRY AND LIFE OF PRIEST, Presbyterorum

ordinis. 7th December 1965

16) PASTORAL CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN

WORLD, Gaudium et spes. 7th December 1965

1. THE CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY.

“The work of our redemption is accomplished” through liturgy especially in the

vine sacrifice of the Eucharist and it is through the liturgy that the faithful are

enabled to express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and

the real nature of the true Church. So by seeing this council set out to impart an

ever increasing vigor to the Christians life and also to adapt more closely to the

need of our age those institutions which are subject to change: to foster whatever

can promote union among the all who believe in Christ; to strengthen whatever can

help to call all mankind into the Church’s fold. Accordingly it sees particular

cogent reasons for undertaking the reform and promotion of the Liturgy.

The Council Fathers gave out general principles for the restoration and promotion

of the sacred liturgy this were based on the:

 The nature of the sacred liturgy and its importance in the life of the church

 The promotion of the liturgical instruction and active participation

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  The reform of the sacred liturgy.

They also discussed on the most sacred mystery of the Eucharist, other

sacraments and sacramental, the divine office, the liturgical year, sacred

music, sacred furnishings and sacred art.

2. DECREE ON THE MEANS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION.

In this decree, the council fathers dealt with the means of social communication. It

feels obliged therefore to preach the gospel and in the same way it believes that its

task involves employing the means of social communication to announce the

gospel news to the people. Therefore the council fathers decided to implore the

ways of introducing the means of communication such as radios ,magazine,

newspaper in order to foster the evangelization to the people also the council

fathers insisted that the proper moral on the youth while allowing them to have

access to the social means of communications.

3. DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION IN THE CHURCH.

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Christ is the light of humanity. In this document the Mystery of the Church is

explained i.e. the saving mission the church.

The eternal Father created the whole universe, and chose to rise up men to share in

his own divine life; and when they had fallen into sin, he did not abandon them but

all times held out to them the means of salvation. The father sent the son, Jesus

Christ who carries out the will of the Father, Christ revealed to us his mystery; by

his obedience he brought about our redemption.

This document also clarified the Church’s mission as the universal sacrament of

salvation.

4. DECREE ON THE CATHOLIC EASTERN CHURCHES.

In this document the Church expresses how it is values the Institutions of the

Eastern Churches, their liturgical rites, ecclesiastical traditions and their ordering

of Christian life. The church affirm the Eastern churches have venerable antiquity,

and there are clearly evidence that this traditions pass from the Apostles to the

Fathers and which is the part of divine revealed, undivided heritage of the

Universal Church. And this Ecumenical Council gives a special care for the

Eastern Churches.

5. DECREE ON ECUMENISM.

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The church throughout history seeks to bring back together all the religious

dominations which fall under the name of Christ. Therefore the council fathers

made a careful distinction between spiritual ecumenism, mainly prayer and the

practice of virtue and the practical ecumenism which actively fosters Christian

reunion.

6. DECREE ON THE PASTORAL OFFICE OF BISHOPS IN THE

CHURCH.

The document urge the bishops to cooperate with one another and the bishop of

Rome and to decide on effective means for using the modern means of

communication for evangelization of people.

7. DECREE ON THE UP-TO-DATE RENEWAL OF RELIGIOUS LIFE.

In this decree, the church set down norms for spiritual renewal and prudent

adaption, legislating community life under superiors, cooperate prayer, poverty of

sharing, distinctive religious habit and continued spiritual and doctrinal education.

8. DECREE ON THE TRAINING OF PRIEST.

This document dealt with training of priest. It centered on fostering the vocations,

giving more attention to spiritual formation and preparing for pastoral work.

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Also developing priests with filial attachment to the Vicar of Christ and loyal

cooperation with their bishops and fellow priest.

9. DECLARATION ON CHRISTIAN EDUCATION.

In this document the church told all Christians that they have right to Christian

education. It also reminded the parents that they have the primary right and duty to

teach their children and warned believers on the dangers of state monopoly in

education.

10. DECLARATION ON THE RELATION OF THE CHURCH TO NON -

CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS.

The church gave out the declaration on the relation it has with non-Christian

religions. In this the church shows it respect to the non-Christian religions which

are Islamic religion and Judaism. It also urged all Catholics to enter with prudence

and charity into discussion and collaboration with members of other religions.

11. DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON DEVINE REVELATION

The Dogmatic constitution on Divine Revelation distinguished between Sacred

Scriptures from Sacred Tradition. It declared that the Bible must be interpreted

under the church’s guidance and explained how development of doctrine is the

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church’s ever-deeper understanding of what God has once and for all revealed to

the human race.

12. DECREE ON THE APOSTOLATE ON THE LAY PEOPLE.

In this document the church explains it mission practical. In this mission the laity is

specially called in virtue of their baptism and incorporation into Christ.

It recognizes that the laity has the right establish and direct their own associations,

on the condition that they preserve the necessary link with the ecclesiastical

authority.

13. DECLARATION ON THE RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.

The fathers gave out declaration on the religious liberty. In this it affirms each

person’s liberty to believe in God and worship Him according to one’s conscience

and reaffirms the Catholic Church’s revealed freedom for herself and before every

public authority.

14. DECREE ON CHURCH’S MISSIONARY ACTIVITY.

The church defines evangelization as the implanting of the church among peoples

in which she has not yet taken root. It urges even the young churches to engage in

evangelization a soon as possible and stresses the importance of adequate training

of missionaries and their sanctity of life.

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15. DECREE ON THE MINISTRY AND LIFE OF PRIESTS.

In this document the church defines priest as men who are ordained to offer the

Eucharistic sacrifice, forgive sins in Christ’s name, and exercise the priestly office

on behalf of others in the name of Christ. Priestly celibacy is reaffirmed and

priestly sanctity declared to be essential.

16. PASTORAL CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN

WORLD.

This document dealt with church on the modern times. It identifies atheism as one

of the most serious problem of our times, gives the most extensive treatment of

marriage and the family in conciliar history and declares the church’s strong

position on war and peace in the nuclear age.