An Introduction to Vatican II

Following both Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI'S call for a renewed and deeper study of Vatican II, Catholics are invited to read the documents of the Council and to examine their importance in the life of the Church.

In light of certain misunderstandings surrounding the Second Vatican Council, Catholics can be guided by three interpretive principles to the truth of the Council's teachings.

Cardinal Avery Dulles outlines eight guiding principles to distinguish true from false Church reform.

The facts surrounding the Second Vatican Council, particularly the reasons it was convened, provide solid groundwork for understanding the Council's work and significance.

An examination of the central themes of Sacrosanctum Concilium, Vatican II's momentous and often debated document on sacred liturgy, illuminates the authentic teachings of the Second Vatican Council.

Dei Verbum, one of the most substantial documents of Vatican II, presents an in-depth examination of the nature and manifestation of Divine Revelation in salvation history and in the living tradition of the Church.

Lumen Gentium, the Second Vatican Council's dogmatic constitution on the Catholic Church, offers an ecclesiastical self-reflection on the role of the Church as a "light to the nations" and conveyer of Divine Revelation.

The Pastoral Constitution of Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, focuses on the "joy and hope" which the Church-as entrusted by Christ-can bring to today's troubled world.