The Second Vatican Council
Critics on both the theological left and theological right see the Council as a radical break with the past. Some people on the theological left claim "the spirit of Vatican II" supports their rejection of many firmly established Catholic beliefs and practices. Some on the theological right accuse the Council of abandoning certain fundamental Catholic tenets in the name of "updating" the Church.
The popes of the Council--John XXII and Paul VI--and their successors-- John Paul I, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who also participated in the Council--have insisted that the Council itself was the work of the Holy Spirit. They have aggressively criticized misinterpretations and distortions of it. They insist that the Council be understood in fundamental continuity with the Church's Tradition, even while deepening the Church's self-understand and calling for authentic reforms and renewal of Catholic life.
Readers can learn for themselves what the Second Vatican Council taught using this highly-accessible collection of its basic texts.
This book uses the Catholic Truth Society translation and features:
-The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium
-The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium
-The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum -The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World,Gaudium et Spes
Four major aspects of the Church's life--the Sacred Liturgy, the mystery of the Church herself, the Word of God, and the Church in the world as it is today--are explored. No 21st century Catholic should be without these four foundational texts in this superb translation and high-quality edition.
Plus, the collection includes an introductory essay by Pope Benedict XVI explaining how best to understand the Second Vatican Council in the history of the Church.
Various Authors