Category:Second Vatican Council

The Second Vatican Council (also known as Vatican II) opened under Pope John XXIII on October 11, 1962, and closed under Pope Paul VI on December 8, 1965.

The four purposes for the second period Council in 1963 were: - to more fully define 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.

Bishops approved: - the constitution on the liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) - (1963) - in which permissions were granted to celebrate most of the Holy Mass in vernacular languages - the decree on the media of social communication (Inter Mirifica) - (1963) - schemata on ecumenism (Unitatis Redintegratio) - (1964) - the official view on Protestant and Eastern Orthodox "separated brethren", the Eastern Rite churches (Orientalium Ecclesiarum) - (1964) - the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church (Lumen Gentium) - (1964) - a change in the Eucharistic fast and formally reaffirmed Mary as "Mother of the Church" - (1964) - decree on religious freedom, (Dignitatis Humanae) - (1965) - the lengthened and revised pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world, (Gaudium et Spes) - (1965) - decrees on missionary activity, (Ad Gentes) - (1965) - the ministry and life of priests, (Presbyterorum Ordinis) - (1965) - decrees on the pastoral office of bishops (Christus Dominus) - (1965) - the life of persons in religious orders (expanded and modified from earlier sessions, finally titled (Perfectæ Caritatis) - (1965) - education for the priesthood (Optatam Totius) - (1965) - Christian education (Gravissimum Educationis) - (1965) - the role of the laity (Apostolicam Actuositatem) - (1965) - the document that Jews of the time of Christ, taken indiscriminately, and all Jews today are no more responsible for the death of Christ than Christians (Nostra Aetate) - (1965)

Pope Paul VI: - established the Synod of Bishops - (1965) - 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 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.

Pope Paul VI and Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras made 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.