What changes did the Second Vatican Council introduce?

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

The Second Vatican Council (1962–65) was an ecumenical council that sought to bring spiritual renewal to the Roman Catholic Church according to the theme of aggiornamento (Italian: “bringing up to date”). Among the most significant modernizing changes introduced by the council (commonly called Vatican II) were the use of vernacular languages instead of Latin in the celebration of mass and greater participation by laypeople during mass. The liturgy of the Eucharist was changed so that the priest faces the congregation during the rite. Additionally, many religious orders relaxed their requirements regarding garb for their members, such as the traditional nuns’ habits. Vatican II also resulted in important church documents that addressed such issues as acknowledging the church’s role in antisemitism and recognizing the legitimacy of non-Christian religions, particularly Judaism and Islam.