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Online texts: Documents of the Second Vatican Council; and on its Interpretation and Application

11 Thursday Oct 2012

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See these online texts:

I. Documents of the Second Vatican Council

  • Documents of the Second Vatican Council: Constitutions, Decrees, and Declarations. Available at the Holy See, the EWTN Library, the Catholic Information Network, and St Josef. Christus Rex likewise contains the documents and addresses of the Council, including the addresses of Pope Blessed John XXIII and Pope Paul VI, together with a summary of the Council’s work.

II. Draft Documents for the Second Vatican Council

The original schemata for the Second Vatican Council, translated and published online by Fr. Joseph A. Komonchak:

III. Selected Post-Conciliar Documents

The following are some important documents that interpret or apply the documents of Vatican II.

On the Correct Interpretation of the Council:

  • Christmas Address to the Roman Curia, by Pope Benedict XVI (22 December 2005). Available at the Holy See. [N.B., This important address affirms the hermeneutics of reform, “of renewal in the continuity of the one subject-Church which the Lord has given to us”, in the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council, and refutes the hermeneutics of discontinuity and rupture.]
  • Address to the Meeting with the Parish Priests and the Clergy of Rome, by Pope Benedict XVI, 14 February 2013. May be read online and available in pdf format at the Holy See. What appears to be a different English translation of the address is provided in the article “Pope to Rome’s priests: The Second Vatican Council, as I saw it” at Year of Faith 2012-2013.

On the Nature and Mission of the Church:

  • Doctrinal Note on Some Aspects of Evangelization, by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (3 December 2007). May be read online at the Holy See. A summary is also available at Papal Encyclicals.net.
  • Dominus Iesus: Declaration on the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church, by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved by Pope Blessed John Paul II June 16, 2000, issued August 6, 2000. May be downloaded in PDF format from Catholic Primer Library and read online at the Holy See. [NB, This important text should be read together with “Answers to Main Objections Against Dominus Iesus”, the text of then-Cardinal Ratzinger’s interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, published 22 September 2000, which may be read online at EWTN Library.]
  • Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of the Church Understood as Communion, by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, May 28, 1992. May be read online at the Holy See, EWTN Library, and Catholic Information Network
  • Mysterium Ecclesiae: Declaration in Defense of the Catholic Doctrine on the Church Against Certain Errors of the Present Day, by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 24, 1973. May be read online at St. Michael’s Cyberspace Scriptorium and Library and the Holy See.
  • Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church, by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (June 29, 2007). May be read online at the Holy See and at Catholic Eternal Truth.
  • Redemptoris Missio: Encyclical Letter on the Permanent Validity of the Church’s Missionary Mandate, by Pope Blessed John Paul II (7 December 1990). Available at the Holy See.

On Christian Doctrine: 

  • Ad Tuendam Fidem: Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio, by which certain norms are inserted into the Code of Canon Law and into the Code of Canon of the Eastern Churches, by Pope John Paul II, May 28, 1998. May be read online at the EWTN Library. [N.B. The Letter promulgates “new norms which expressly impose the obligation of upholding truths proposed in a definitive way by the Magisterium of the Church, and which also establish related canonical sanctions.”]
  • Decree on the Reform of Ecclesiastical Studies of Philosophy, by the Congregation for Catholic Education (2011). Available at the website of the Holy See, with excerpt and link on Rorate Coeli.
  • Donum Veritatis: Instruction on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian, by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (24 May 1990). Available at the Holy See.
  • Ex Corde Ecclesiae: Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities, by Pope Blessed John Paul II (15 August 1990). Available at the Holy See.
  • Fides et Ratio: Encyclical Letter on the Relationship between Faith and Reason, by Pope Blessed John Paul II (14 September 1998). Available at the Holy See. Various reflections on the encyclical are available at EWTN Library.
  • Profession of Faith and the Oath of Fidelity on Assuming an Office to be Exercised in the Name of the Church, by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  May be read online at the EWTN Library. The Doctrinal Commentary by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the Concluding Formula of the Professio Fidei may be read online at EWTN Library,

On the Liturgy and the Sacraments:

  • Dominicae Cenae: Letter on the Mystery and Worship of the Eucharist, by Pope Blessed John Paul II (February 24, 1980). May be read online at Catholic Liturgical Library, at Catholic Information Network, and at New Advent.
  • General Instruction of the Roman Missal (Including Adaptations for the Dioceses of the United States of America), by the Congregation for Divine Worship. Available at the Holy See. and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
  • Misericordia Dei: Apostolic Letter in the Form of Motu Proprio on Certain  Aspects of the Celebration of the Sacrament Of Penance, by Pope Blessed John Paul II  (7 April 2002). Available at the Holy See.
  • Musicam Sacram: Instruction on Sacred Music in the Liturgy, by the Sacred Congregation of Rites (March 5, 1967). May be read online at the Catholic Liturgical Library.
  • Mysterium Fidei: Encyclical on the Holy Eucharist, by Pope Paul VI (September 3, 1965). May be read online at the Holy See.
  • Opera Artis: Circular Letter on the Care of the Church’s Historical and Artistic Heritage, by the Congregation for the Clergy (April 11, 1971). May be read online at Adoremus and the Catholic Liturgical Library. May be downloaded in DOC format from this page of the Epiphany Sacred Arts Guild.
  • Redemptionis Sacramentum, Instruction on certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist, by the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (2004). Available at EWTN Library.
  • Vicesimus Quintus Annus: Apostolic Letter on the 25th Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Conciliar Constitution “Sacrosanctum Concilium” on the Sacred Liturgy, by Pope Blessed John Paul II (4 December 1988). Available at the Holy See and the Catholic Liturgical Library.
  • Voluntatis obsequens: Letter to bishops, accompanying the booklet Jubilate Deo, by the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship (April 14, 1974). May be read online at the Catholic Liturgical Library.
  • Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines, by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (December 2001). Available at the Holy See.

On Moral Teachings:

  • Evangelium Vitae: Encyclical Letter on the Value and Inviolability of Human Life, by  Pope Blessed John Paul II (25 March 1995). Available at the Holy See, with 2nd copy on this page.
  • Familiaris Consortio: Apostolic Exhortation on the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World, by Pope Blessed John Paul II (22 November 1981). Available at the Holy See.
  • Humanae Vitae: Encyclical Letter on the Regulation of Birth, by Pope Paul VI (25 July 1968). Available at the Holy See.
  • Instruction on Christian Freedom and Liberation, by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, March 22, 1986. May be read online at the Catholic Information Network and the EWTN Library.
  • Justitia in Mundo, by the World Synod of Catholic Bishops, 1971. Available at Catholic Social Services Australia.
  • Persona Humana: Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics, by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (29 December 1975). Available at the Holy See.
  • Reconciliatio et Paenitentia: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Reconciliation and Penance in the Mission of the Church Today, by Pope Blessed John Paul II (2 December 1984). Available at the Holy See.
  • The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education Within the Family, by the Pontifical Council for the Family (November 21, 1995). May be read online at the Holy See, Simbahayan sa Maynila, Family Life Center,EWTN Library, Women for Faith & Family, and New Advent, with an excerpt at the National Coalition of Clergy and Laity. Available in PDF format at Super Flumina. Its principles are summarized at Women for Faith & Family and AD2000.
  • Veritatis Splendor, Encyclical Letter by Pope Blessed John Paul II (6 August 1993). Available at the Holy See. [According to Wikipedia: “The encyclical is one of the most comprehensive and philosophical teachings of moral theology in the Catholic tradition”]

For the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and the beginning of the Year of Faith; and in observance of the Memorial of Pope Blessed John XXIII in the Ecclesiastical Calendar of Chile. For other texts and ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title), the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject), the List of Worth-It Catholic Books & eBooks, and the main page of the Catholic eBooks Project.