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Second Vatican Council The world is changing so rapidly that the changes frighten people. The peace of the early 1950?s gave way to the chaos of the 1960's. The Catholic Church has always been affected either strengthened or weakened by the course of world events. During this period Pope Pius XII was in charge (1939-1958). He lead the Church through WWII and through the period of reconstruction of the European Churches during the 1940's and 1950's. He was loved by many and seen as a strong leader. Upon Pope Pius XII?s, the Cardinals of the Church (who were responsible for selecting the new Pope) were split down the middle. They couldn't decide what type of leader was needed during this time of great change. One group of Cardinals felt the new Pope needed to keep firm to the current church teachings. They saw the church as the only form of stability in the world. The other group of Cardinals felt the church needed to change with the times. Since the two groups could not agree, they decided to elect an "interim pope." An "interim pope" is a person elected by the cardinals who they feel will
The Cardinals wanted an interim pope until they could agree on which direction the Church should take. Once the interim pope died, they could elect someone to lead the chosen direction.  The Cardinals elected Angelo Roncalli who took the name John XXIII. He was 77 years old and in poor health. They were correct in anticipating a short pontificate. Pope John XIII lived only 5 years more (1958-1963). What they didn't know was that he would change the church forever. The Pope who was expected to be forgotten would become the Pope history would never forget!
Within a few months of being named Pope, John XXIII made the following changes: - The traditional number of 70 cardinals (a 400 year tradition) was increased to over 100. The new cardinals came from Africa, North & South America and Asia. - John XIII opened dialogue with leaders of the Jewish faith and many Protestant faiths. - The biggest surprise was John XXIII's announcement of a Second Vatican Council for all the bishops to discuss the direction of the church. This was definitely not what the Cardinals wanted! -This would be the second time a Vatican Council would be held (hence the name). The first was held in 1869 but was never completed due to the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War. In 1962, the first session of Vatican II began. For the first time representatives form other Christian faiths were invited to observe the session. Of the 2,908 bishops around the world 2,600 participated. (Some were too old or too ill to travel.) Historical Note: The Documents (A Complete Listing of the Documents of Vatican II can be found online at the eCatholicism.org website). The Council ended after three years in 1965. Pope John XXIII died in 1963 and never saw the results. It was feared that the next Pope would not continue but Pope Paul VI made sure it was completed. When the Council was over, a total of 16 documents were written which changed the course of the Church. The Second Vatican Council is referred to as the Second Pentecost in the Church because it was like a breath of fresh air, bringing new life to the Church.
Prayer: For a Renewed Church Read Hebrews 11:1. Read through the brief summaries of the 16 documents which follow. Choose two of the documents and complete the questions on: Take Two-The Second Vatican Council. Example: Belief practices could change by:
Summaries of Vatican II Documents
Take Two - The Second Vatican Council
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