Vatican II Documents

DOCUMENTS OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL (1962 - 1965)

What a treasure there is, dear brothers and sisters, in the guidelines offered to us by the Second Vatican Council! For this reason I asked the Church, as a way of preparing for the Great Jubilee, to examine herself on the reception given to the Council (Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 1994, 36). Has this been done? The Congress held here in the Vatican was such a moment of reflection, and I hope that similar efforts have been made in various ways in all the particular Churches. With the passing of the years, the Council documents 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. Now that the Jubilee has ended, 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.

- Apostolic Letter of  John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 6 January 2001, 57

The topics of the 16 Constitutions, Decrees and Declarations of Vatican II

CONSTITUTIONS

[1]           LITURGY

Sacrosanctum Concilium, 4 December 1963

[2]           CHURCH

Lumen Gentium, 21 November 1964

[3]           REVELATION

Dei Verbum, 28 October 1965

[4]           CHURCH IN MODERN WORLD

Gaudium et Spes, 7 December 1965

DECREES

[5]           SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

Inter Mirifica, 4 December 1963

[6]           CATHOLIC EASTERN CHURCHES

Orientalium Ecclelsiarum, 21 November 1964

[7]           ECUMENISM

Unitatis Redintegratio, 21 November 1964

[8]           APOSTOLATE OF LAY PEOPLE

Apostolicam Actuositatem, 18 November 1965

[9]           BISHOPS

Christus Dominus, 28 November 1965

[10]         FORMATION OF PRIESTS

Optatam Totius, 28 November 1965

[11]         RENEWAL OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Perfectae Caritatis, 28 November 1965

[12]         CHURCH'S MISSIONARY ACTIVITY

Ad Gentes, 7 December 1965

[13]         MINISTRY AND LIFE OF PRIESTS

Presbyterorum Ordinis, 7 December 1965

DECLARATIONS

[14]          CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Gravissimum Educationis, 28 October 1965

[15]         CHURCH AND OTHER RELIGIONS

Nostra Aetate, 28 October 1965

[16]         RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

Dignitatis Humanae, 7 December 1965

  • Created: 26 September 2008
  • Modified: 24 April 2009