The Second Vatican Council also known as the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican and informally as Vatican II began on October 11, 1962 and concluded on December 8, 1965. The Council was held at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and was convoked by Pope John XXIII and ended by Pope Paul VI. It was called to address the relations of the modern world and the Catholic Church. The council took more than two years to prepare and was the largest gathering in church history. It was also the first council that did not address a specific heresie or problem of the Church. During the first sessions elections for the members of the ten councilor commissions were supposed to take place but did not because of a disagreement on the voting process. …show more content…
Pope Paul VI’s goal was to restore unity among all Christians, to clearly define the role of the bishop and the nature of the Church, to renew the Church, and to start a dialogue with the modern world. Commissions passed during this period included Sacrosanctum Concilium,which is the constitution on the liturgy, and Inter Mirifica, which is the decree on social communication. There was also an argument between Josef Cardinal Frings, who criticized the Holy Office, and Alfredo Ottaviani who was the secretary that went against Josef Cardinal Frings. This argument is said to be the most dramatic exchange of the …show more content…
On December 8 the council was officially closed and the bishops agreed to obey the Council’s decrees. After the council was over the Pope encouraged all Catholics to accept the decisions of the council and apply them to their lives by throwing a jubilee. Many have used the Second Vatican Council as an excuse to do whatever they want with the sacraments, liturgy, and Catholic education even though the Pope said the people should study the documents carefully in order to understand them. In the mid-1960’s mass was able to be celebrated in vernacular