Vatican II

It's more than 45 years since Vatican II - the Second Vatican Council.

What is Vatican II?

On 11 October, 1962, Pope John XXIII opened a universal meeting of bishops, in Rome, with the intention of opening up the Catholic Church and its teachings to the wider world.

It was a global ecumenical council meeting and, as such, Pope John XXIII invited observers from other Christian Churches.

It ran for four consecutive autumns (concluding under the watch of Pope Paul VI in 1965) although specially formed commissions met throughout the year to reflect on the discussions and to prepare for the next session.

Nearly 3,000 men (the Council Fathers) were entitled to seats on the Council.

What did it aim to do?

The Second Vatican Council aimed to define, clearly, the role of the Church and also that of her bishops.

Its purpose was also to encourage dialogue, openness and engagement with the modern world.

The council's documents offer guidance for dialogue with the world's other faiths and cultures not to mention the promotion of unity amongst Christians.

Another major change saw renewal of the Liturgy (the way Catholics worship) and a new approach to interpreting the Bible was approved.

This is a simple overview of Vatican II - see below for more details of the Council's documents.