Vatican II - Research Publications

Vatican II: Canadian Experiences (2011)

Contributors include: Indre Cuplinskas, Mark Pelchat, Pierre C. Pagé, Stuart MacDonald, John H. Young, Alan L. Hayes, Michael A. Fahey, Andrea Spatafora, Karim Schelkens, Peter Meehan, Peter Galadza, Myroslaw Tataryn, Peter Baltutis, Jacques Racine, Philippe Roy, Jaroslav Z. Skira, Michael Attridge, Gregory Baum, Léo Laberge, Darren J. Dias, Raymond Brodeur, Myrtle Power, John Van den Hengel, Heidi MacDonald, Rosa Bruno-Joffré, Sarah Jardine, Gilles Routhier and Catherine E. Clifford

Book contents:

The Second Vatican Council (1961–1965) was one of the most significant religious events of the twentieth century. In Canada, it was part of a moment of unprecedented cultural and societal change, causing Canadian Catholics to reexamine the church’s place and mission in the world. For four years, Canadian Catholic bishops met with their peers from around the globe to reflect on and debate the pressing issues facing the church. This bilingual volume explores the interpretation and reception of Vatican II in Canada, looking at many issues including the role of the media, the reactions of other Christians, the contributions of Canadian participants, the council’s impact on religious practice and its contribution to the growth of interreligious dialogue.

Keys To the Council: Unlocking the Teaching of Vatican II (2012)

Book Contents:

As the church marks the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, too few Catholics have an adequate grasp of what the council contributed to the life of the church. The problem is understandable. The Second Vatican Council produced, by far, more document pages than any other council. Consequently, any attempt to master its core teachings can be daunting. There is a danger of missing the forest for the trees. With this in mind, Keys to the Council identifies twenty key conciliar passages, central texts that help us appreciate the vision of the council fathers.

Each chapter places the given passage in its larger historical context, explores its fundamental meaning and significance, and finally considers its larger significance for the life of the church today. Chapters include exploration of Sacrosanctum Concilium’s demand for “full, conscious, and active participation” in the liturgy; Lumen Gentium’s eucharistic ecclesiology; Gaudium et Spes’s vision of marriage as an intimate partnership of life and love; Nostra Aetate’s approach to non-Christian religions; and more.