Reviews for The Basic Sixteen Documents Vatican Council II: Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations

The average rating for The Basic Sixteen Documents Vatican Council II: Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-02-12 00:00:00 Anca Joe Though I've read various individual documents & parts of others during the year, this is the first time I've read the complete Documents of Vatican II. A handful are sublime in what they express; some are so-so; and a few lack any luster. Having lived through those times as a Roman Catholic seminarian & new priest, as the documents were being discussed & written, I can recall the hope & enthusiasm we felt for the future. The vision is proposed was breathtaking at the time. Unfortunately it pretty much all turned to ashes within a relatively short time. The Council, knowingly or unknowingly, failed to officially terminate Vatican I which had been interrupted, and then to seriously implement Vatican II. These 50 years later we're realizing that they've reaped the wind, to the point where, for the first time in 600 years, a reigning Pope has stepped down, leaving a legacy of a majority of very conservative Church leaders/bishops across the world who are intent on circling the wagons, closing themselves off to the global society for the most part, and keeping things "business as usual".

Review # 2 was written on 2014-10-11 00:00:00 Gabrielle Ellis I kept on hearing about the Second Vatican Council in my Basic Apologetics Class so I bought and read this book. Now I have a crystal clear idea on what changes it brought to the Catholic Church. It was the biggest council that got convened inside the Vatican. It was attended by many men of faith not only the cardinals, bishops but even representatives from the other religions like Eastern Orthodox and Protestant denominations. It was also participated by laity more than any other councils in the history of the Catholic Church. The Second Vatican Council lasted for 3 years, i.e., 1962-1964. That's why when I was a toddler I still was able to attend the Latin Mass every Sunday. This council open the Holy Mass, used to be said only in Latin, to other languages or vernaculars. It also changed the layout of the altar specifically the location of the tabernacle. Also, the priest used to be saying the mass with his back at the audience. The Second Vatican Council made the mass more participatory to the laity. Last year, I was invited by a former friend to hear a Latin Mass. I actually did not appreciate it because I didn't know what's going on. He did not know also but he seemed to enjoy not knowing what's going on. He seemed to be a fanatics and thought probably that he looked more religious if he attends a mass where he does not understand even the gospel. That was a waste of time for me. He seemed to want to return to pre-Vatican II times. Reading this book can be a struggle if you are not taking up a degree on Theology. It's just that I wanted to learn more about something that I did know anything about. Thanks to Totus Bookstore for recommending this book to me.