Vatican II Ends, 1965

On this day in 1965, the Second Vatican Council ended. Pope Blessed John XXIII’s goals in convening the council were church renewal, dialogue with the modern world, and promoting unity among the Christian Churches. It was intended to “find new ways to express the ancient deposit of faith.” Vatican II began October 1962 and met in three sessions through December 1965. After John’s death in 1963, Pope Paul VI continued the council, which produced 16 documents: 4 contitutions, 9 decrees and 3 declarations:

Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church)
Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation)
Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy)
Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World)
Inter Mirifica (Decree on the Instruments of Social Communication)
Unitatis Redintegrato (Decree on Ecumenism)
Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Decree on Eastern Catholic Churches)
Christus Dominus (Decree on the Bishops’ Pastoral Office in the Church)
Optatam Totius (Decree on Priestly Formation)
Perfectae Caritatis (Decree on the Appropriate Renewal of the Religious Life)
Apostolicam Actuositatem (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity)
Presbyterorum Ordinis (Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests)
Ad Gentes (Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity)
Gravissimum Educationis (Declaration on Christian Education)
Nostra Aetate (Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions)
Dignitatis Humanae (Declaration of Religious Freedom)