What is the Second Vatican Council?

A Council

John XXIII had been pope for three months when, on January 25, 1959, he announced the convening of an “Ecumenical Council for the Universal Church”. The word “council” comes from the Latin “concilum” which means “assembly”; the adjective “ecumenical”, from the Greek “oikoumenè” which designates the entire inhabited world. The expression describes the gathering of bishops from the entire Catholic Church.

A historic milestone

History is punctuated by councils (Council of Nicaea, Council of Trent, etc.) whose role is to clarify, depending on the circumstances, the faith and the practical life of the Church – what we call Tradition. In 1959, we were in the middle of the Cold War and wars of decolonization, like in Algeria for example.

By solemnly inaugurating the Second Vatican Council on October 11, 1962, Pope John XXIII therefore underlined that “our duty is not only to guard this precious treasure (of Tradition) as if we only cared about the past, but to devote ourselves, resolutely and without fear, to the work that our era demands, thus continuing the path that the Church has been traveling for twenty centuries. »

An unprecedented scale and impact

2,381 bishops, 106 “observers” from other Christian churches, not to mention the theologians accompanying certain bishops, the secretariat staff and the scale of the logistics! Opened by John XXIII, it will be closed by his successor Paul VI.

Between 1962 and 1965, for two or three months in the fall, the council brought together a small world in the spotlight at the Vatican. Because this council is experiencing unprecedented media coverage which makes it a global event.

An update with major consequences

The Italian term aggiornamento is often used to talk about the council: the Church appropriates the new context of the time to reformulate what it believes and what it wants to live.

• The council completely reformed the Church’s point of view on Judaism by recognizing it as heir to the Jewish religion and prohibiting any presentation that would fuel anti-Semitism. This new relationship with Judaism opens the way to interreligious dialogue.

• The council places the reading of the Bible at the heart of the life of the Church. Through the Bible received in the Tradition of the Church, God speaks to the faithful: he sheds light on historical circumstances and reveals the path to follow.

• He renews the liturgy. The place of the Word of God is developed and systematized in all celebrations. Inspired by the ancient Church, an adult catechumenate is redeployed.

• The liturgical calendar is reorganized to make it clearer that it follows the great mysteries of the faith, from the Incarnation (Christmas) to the Communion of Saints (All Saints’ Day), including the Passion and Resurrection of Christ (Easter) and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost).

• Baptism is highlighted as the fundamental identity of the faithful. It brings together priests and lay people. It becomes the basis for new relationships with other Christian churches in a search for unity.

• The form of the mass is both simplified to regain an ancient balance and modified to encourage the participation of the faithful. The possibility of translating prayers into the language of each country led to a rapid abandonment of Latin. The celebration of weddings, baptisms and funerals is renewed.

• The Church understands itself as the servant of God’s love for men. The council develops a view of the world that is both critical and full of hope.