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
- Go to the 16 Documents of the Second Vatican Council (Alphabetical listing)
- Go to the 16 Documents of the Second Vatican Council (Chronological listing)
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
Gaudium et Spes, 7 December 1965
DECREES
Inter Mirifica, 4 December 1963
Orientalium Ecclelsiarum, 21 November 1964
[7] ECUMENISM
Unitatis Redintegratio, 21 November 1964
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