AFTER 50 YEARS

REFLECTIONS ON VATICAN COUNCIL II

Abstract

The Second Vatican Council (11 Oct 1962 – 8 Dec 1965) can be said to be the most significant event in the modern era of the Catholic Church. Pope John XXIII often said that it was time to open the windows of the Church to let some fresh air in. In his opening message, the Pope said, “The Church should never depart from the sacred treasure of truth inherited from the Fathers. But at the same time she must ever look to the present, to the new conditions and the new forms of life introduced into the modern world.“ The Council was a moment of grace, a moment of great hope, a moment of renewal, a moment of “aggornamento,“ not only for the Church, but for the whole world. The Second Vatican Council is often presented as the most important event of the 20th century.