Browse past isues
Help the mission
Support the mission
Get in touch
Evangelii Nuntiandi [EN] (Evangelization in the Modern World) is considered the magna carta for Catholic evangelization. On this golden anniversary of EN (1975-2025), one can validly assert that for missionary evangelizers, it is probably the most crucial ecclesial document of the post-Vatican II era.
Three landmark texts of Vatican II–Optatam Totius, Presbyterorum Ordinis and Perfectae Caritatis encompass a bold vision of the Church’s life and mission. Together, they call priests and consecrated men and women to become living witnesses of Christ’s self–giving love.
In order to achieve the Vatican II’s vision of a Church community, dialogue and mission, the Church needs to engage in dialogue within the Church itself, with other Christian Churches, with people of other faiths and with all humanity.
One must remember that the Council was attended by over 2,500 bishops as well as additional theologians, experts, and observers, all adding up to over 3,000 persons. This short essay only highlights eight pivotal figures.
Gaudium et Spes, the longest document of Vatican II, calls the Church to engage with contemporary society, addressing social issues through dialogue and evangelization. Rooted in Gospel values, this mission fosters justice, solidarity, and universal fraternity.
The 267th leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, Pope Leo XIV, has one significant quality: his “missionary heart.” Leo himself has extensive mission experience, working in Peru for over twenty years. He will imprint a missionary dynamism into his papacy.
Pope Francis embodied the spirit of Vatican II, translating its vision into action. His papacy championed several core Council themes: collegiality, synodality, local church, dialogue and servant leadership. His reforms reflected the Council’s call for aggiornamento (renewal).
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) [SC] was the first of sixteen documents that Vatican II promulgated. It asserts that a very close, organic bond exists between the renewal of the liturgy and the renewal of the whole life of the Church.
Dei Verbum (Word of God), formally titled the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, holds a unique place among the 16 documents of Vatican II (1962–1965). It is a profound exploration of how God reveals Himself and communicates with humanity.
The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) has accurately been described as a “Council of the Church about the Church.” For four years, the Church reflected on her self-identity as the community of Christ’s disciples. This reflection seeks to capture a “Vatican II Ecclesiology” in eight “snapshot” images.
