The 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council

The 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council On October 11, 1962, Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council of the Catholic Church in Rome. This was the only council convened in the 20th century and was only the second council since the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.The Council met at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome for four sessions, which took place over a period of four years, and ended under Pope Paul VI in 1965. The Council sought to accomplish four goals: to more fully define the nature of the Church and the role of the bishops; to renew the Church; to restore unity among all Christians and to start a dialogue with the contemporary world. Vatican II produced sixteen Council documents which cover a wide range of topics, including liturgy, ecumenism and scriptures, among others. These topics and more have been explained and developed under the guidance of the Popes of the past fifty years. To coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Vatican II, Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed the period from October 2012 to November 2013 as a Year of Faith. To read the documents from the Second Vatican Council, go to www.annusfidei.va/en For an interesting video about Pope John XXIII (whose Feast Day is October 11) and the Second Vatican Council, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXcGdiv9-2M.