Definition

Proper noun The Second Vatican Council refers to the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, convened by Pope John XXIII and continued under Pope Paul VI between 1962 and 1965. Its primary purpose was to engage in spiritual renewal and update (aggiornamento) the Church's practices and relationship with the modern world. It is formally known as Vatican II.

Examples of Usage

• The Second Vatican Council introduced significant changes to the Catholic liturgy, most notably permitting the use of vernacular languages instead of Latin.
• Many theological developments in modern Catholicism can be traced back to the documents produced by the Second Vatican Council.
• Scholars often debate the interpretation and implementation of the reforms initiated by the Second Vatican Council.

Advanced Usage

• "The spirit of Vatican II": This phrase is used, often in theological and historical discussions, to describe the overarching intentions of renewal, openness, and pastoral engagement that characterized the Council, sometimes contrasted with a strict reading of its official documents.
• "Post-Vatican II": An adjective used to describe the period, theology, liturgy, or attitudes within the Catholic Church following the conclusion of the Council in 1965.

Variants and Related Words

• Vatican II: The common abbreviated name for the Second Vatican Council.
• Ecumenical Council: A formal assembly of bishops and other church authorities convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. The Second Vatican Council is one such council.
• Aggiornamento: An Italian word meaning "updating," used specifically to describe Pope John XXIII's goal for the Council to open the windows of the Church to the modern world.

Synonyms

• Vatican II (abbreviation)
• The Twenty-First Ecumenical Council (formal designation)

Related Terms and Concepts

• Sacrosanctum Concilium: The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, a key document from the Council that reformed Catholic worship.
• Lumen Gentium: The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, a central document defining the nature of the Church.
• Nostra Aetate: The Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, a groundbreaking document that improved the Church's relationship with Judaism and other faiths.
• Ecumenism: The principle or aim of promoting unity among the world's Christian churches, a movement strongly endorsed by the Second Vatican Council.

Noun

1. the Vatican Council in 1962-1965 that abandoned the universal Latin liturgy and acknowledged ecumenism and made other reforms