The Word on Fire Vatican II Collection: Declarations and Decrees
The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), a gathering of Catholic bishops from around the world, was one of the most significant cultural and religious events of the twentieth century. Though practically everyone acknowledges its importance, Catholics have been debating its precise meaning and application for the past sixty years. On the one hand are “radical traditionalists” who claim that Vatican II betrayed authentic Catholicism and produced disastrous consequences in the life of the Church; on the other, “progressives” who saw the council documents as a first step toward more substantial changes in the Church. But even as debate over the council rages on, not enough Catholics have actually read or properly understood its texts. Word on Fire continues to address this problem in the second volume of its groundbreaking Vatican II Collection. This elegant hardcover volume contains the twelve declarations and decrees issued by the council, rounding out its entire corpus of documents. I