The Vatican II Bundle

“The Second Vatican Council Documents, to which we must return, freeing them from a mass of publications which instead of making them known have often concealed them, are a compass in our time too that permits the Barque of the Church to put out into the deep in the midst of storms or on calm and peaceful waves, to sail safely and to reach her destination." — Pope Benedict XVI

The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), a gathering of Catholic bishops from throughout the world, was one of the twentieth century's most significant cultural and ecclesiastical events. Though almost everyone understands its significance, Catholics have been discussing its exact meaning and application for the past sixty years. On the one hand, "extreme traditionalists" say that Vatican II violated real Catholicism and had devastating implications in the Church's existence; on the other, "progressives" saw the council documents as a first step towards more significant changes in the Church.


Despite the fact that many people have argued over the council since the records were released in the mid-1960s, the documents of Vatican II are still widely unread, and if they are read, they are frequently misconstrued. Word on Fire's revolutionary collection is intended to address that issue.