Saints LightWhat Did Vatican II Do, and Where Is the Church Now?
Vatican II renewed the liturgy and called every Catholic to holiness; the decades since have brought both deep wounds and remarkable growth, and Christ remains with his Church.
What this lesson teaches
- Vatican II (1962 to 1965) sought to renew the Church and present the unchanging faith to the modern world.
- Its four constitutions dealt with the liturgy, the Church, Revelation and the Church in the modern world.
- It taught the universal call to holiness, ecumenism and religious freedom.
- The Church today faces real wounds, including the abuse crisis, and real growth across the world.
Catechism paragraphs this lesson cites
- CCC 10-11
- CCC 816
- CCC 820-821
- CCC 2104
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
Scripture read in this lesson: Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:8.
A sample question from this lesson
What was the main aim of the Second Vatican Council?
- To replace the Creed with a new statement of faith
- To abolish the Latin language entirely
- To present the unchanging faith freshly to the modern world and renew Church life
- To end the role of bishops in the Church
Show the answer
To present the unchanging faith freshly to the modern world and renew Church life. John XXIII called the council to renew the Church and present the faith freshly, not to change the faith.
The lesson in the app has three questions, each with an explanation.
Words to know
- Second Vatican Council
- The twenty-first ecumenical council, held in Rome from 1962 to 1965.
- Universal call to holiness
- The teaching that every baptized person, whatever their state of life, is called to be a saint.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
Read the full lesson in the app
"What Did Vatican II Do, and Where Is the Church Now?" is lesson 12 of Two Thousand Years in Twelve Lessons. In Saints Light you get the whole teaching, the Scripture quoted in full, all three questions and a step to live it this week.
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- The Church: Why Did Jesus Found One? (Start Here, free)