by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.
In 1959, to the surprise of almost everyone, Pope St. John XXIII announced his intention of convoking an Ecumenical Council, the twenty-first such council in the history of the Church.
The Second Vatican Council met in four segments, from Fall 1962 to Fall 1965, under the leadership of Popes John XXIII and Paul VI.
Pope St. John XXIII:
Five points of Pope St. John XXIII for achieving the pastoral renewal of the Church
(from Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, his opening address on Oct. 11, 1962, as summarized by the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, pp. 21-22):
We stand before you, Holy Spirit, conscious of our sinfulness, but aware that we gather in your name.
Come to us, remain with us, and enlighten our hearts.
Give us light and strength to know your will, to make it our own, and to live it in our lives.
Guide us by your wisdom, support us by your power, for you are God, sharing the glory of Father and Son.
You desire justice for all: enable us to uphold the rights of others;
do not allow us to be misled by ignorance or corrupted by fear or favor.
Unite us to yourself in the bond of love and keep us faithful to all that is true.
As we gather in your name may we temper justice with love, so that all our discussions and reflections
may be pleasing to you, and earn the reward promised to good and faithful servants.
We ask this of You who live and reign with the Father and the Son, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The bishops assembled at the Second Vatican Council debated, amended, voted on, and eventually approved and published sixteen documents covering a wide variety of topics, some on internal ecclesial issues and some on the relationship of the Church to various other people in our world. The four largest and most important documents are called "Constitutions," while the shorter documents dealing with more particular issues are either called "Decrees" or "Declarations." These documents are foundational for a proper understanding of Catholic Christianity today, but are still in the process of being implemented fully.
Document Title in English | Official Title (First Words in Latin) |
Date Promulgated |
# Words (Main+Extra) |
Final Vote (Pro / Con) |
Quotes in CCC |
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy | Sacrosanctum Concilium | 12/4/1963 | 8,066 +182 | 2147 / 4 | 86 |
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church | Lumen Gentium | 11/21/1964 | 17,489 +912 | 2151 / 5 | 294 |
Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation | Dei Verbum | 11/18/1965 | 3,420 | 2344 / 6 | 76 |
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World | Gaudium et Spes | 12/7/1965 | 24,076 | 2307 / 75 | 167 |
Decree on the Media of Social Communications | Inter Mirifica | 12/4/1963 | 2312 | 1960 / 164 | 5 |
Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite | Orientalium Ecclesiarum | 11/21/1964 | 1911 +912 | 2110 / 39 | 1 |
Decree on Ecumenism | Unitatis Redintegratio | 11/21/1964 | 4932 +897 | 2137 / 11 | 42 |
Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church | Christus Dominus | 10/28/1965 | 6216 | 2319 / 2 | 14 |
Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life | Perfectae Caritatis | 10/28/1965 | 3406 | 2321 / 4 | 7 |
Decree on Priestly Training | Optatam Totius | 10/28/1965 | 3118 | 2318 / 3 | 2 |
Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity | Apostolicam Actuositatem | 11/18/1965 | 7254 | 2340 / 2 | 14 |
Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church | Ad Gentes | 12/7/1965 | 9961 | 2394 / 5 | 39 |
Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests | Presbyterorum Ordinis | 12/7/1965 | 8112 | 2390 / 4 | 24 |
Declaration on Christian Education | Gravissum Educationis | 10/28/1965 | 2735 | 2290 / 35 | 3 |
Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions | Nostra Aetate | 10/28/1965 | 1217 | 2221 / 88 | 8 |
Declaration on Religious Freedom | Dignitatis Humanae | 12/7/1965 | 3307 | 2308 / 70 | 22 |
See the Vatican Website for the full texts of the Documents of Vatican II
See also my Comparative Outlines of Dei Verbum and the Catechism of the Catholic Church
In 1985, twenty years after the conclusion of Vatican II, the Second Extraordinary Synod of Bishops met to reflect on the importance and the implementation of the teachings of the Council. The Synod's "Final Report" includes several criteria for the proper interpretation of the Documents of Vatican II:
Documents of Vatican II:
Documents of Vatican II: Vatican Translation. Alba House, 2009.
Vatican Council II: The Basic Sixteen Documents. Edited by Austin Flannery, O.P. Liturgical Press, 1996.
Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Postconciliar Documents. Revised Edition, by Austin Flannery, O.P. Liturgical Press, 1996.
The Documents of Vatican II. Edited by Walter M. Abbott, S.J. Guild Press & America Press, 1966.
The Word on Fire Vatican II Collection. 2 vols. Word on Fire Institute, 2021 & 2023.
Also available online from the Vatican website, in Latin and many modern languages: https://vatican.va
Studies about Vatican II:
Alberigo, Giuseppe. History of Vatican II. 5 vols. English edition by Joseph A. Komonchak. Orbis, 1996-2006.
Britton, Blake. Reclaiming Vatican II: What It (Really) Said, What It Means, and How It Calls Us to Renew the Church. Ave Maria, 2021.
Colberg, Kristin M. Vatican I and Vatican II: Councils in the Living Tradition. Liturgical Press, 2016.
Faggioli, Massimo. Vatican II: The Battle for Meaning. Paulist Press, 2012. - with extensive bibliography
Faggioli, Massimo. True Reform: Liturgy and Ecclesiology in Sacrosanctum Concilium. Liturgical Press, 2012.
Gaillardetz, Richard R. An Unfinished Council: Vatican II, Pope Francis, and the Renewal of Catholicism. Liturgical Press, 2015.
Gaillardetz, Richard R., and Catherine E. Clifford. Keys to the Council: Unlocking the Teaching of Vatican II. Liturgical Press, 2012.
Hahnenberg, Edward P. A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II. Franciscan Media, 2007.
Huebsch, Bill. Vatican II in Plain English. 3 vols. Thomas More Publishing, 1997.
Lakeland, Paul. A Council That Will Never End: Lumen Gentium and the Church Today. Liturgical Press, 2013.
O'Collins, Gerald. The Second Vatican Council: Message and Meaning. Liturgical Press, 2014.
O'Malley, SJ, John W. The Spirituality of the Second Vatican Council. Paulist, 2014.
O'Malley, SJ, John W. What Happened at Vatican II. Belknap Press, 2010.
Rush, Ormond. The Vision of Vatican II: Its Fundamental Principles. Liturgical Press, 2019.
Rynne, Xavier. Vatican Council II. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968. - a condensed version of Rynne's 4-volume work.
Schultenover, David, ed. 50 Years On: Probing the Riches of Vatican II. Liturgical Press, 2015.
Sullivan, Maureen. 101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II. Paulist Press, 2002.
Witherup, Ronald D. The Word of God at Vatican II: Exploring Dei Verbum. Liturgical Press, 2014.
Audio and Video Recordings:
Britton, Blake. The 60th Anniversary of Vatican II Continuing the Mission of the Holy Spirit. YouTube Video, from Ave Maria Press, 2022. - 62 minutes
Barron, Robert. Pope Francis and Vatican II. YouTube Video, 2020. - 37 minutes
O'Malley, S.J., John. Vatican II. Learn25 (Now You Know Media), 2010. - audio program with 12 parts, 25 minutes each
Ciorra, Anthony. How to Understand and Live the Spirituality of Vatican II. Learn25 (Now You Know Media), 2012. - audio program with 12 parts, 25 minutes each
Gaillardetz, Richard R. Vatican II: A Catholic's Guide to the Church of the Third Millennium. Learn25 (Now You Know Media), 2014. - audio program with 12 parts, 25 minutes each
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