Vatican II

1. The popular name for the Second Vatican Council, an assembly of all the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church held from 1962 to 1965. The bishops ordered a large-scale liberalization and modernization of practices in their church.

Example Sentences

The church had grown increasingly liberal since Vatican II. Confession was rarely mentioned, Latin largely abandoned.

Read more on Seattle Times

The progressive priests who dominated the U.S. church in the years after Vatican II are now in their 70s and 80s.

Read more on Seattle Times

Vatican II modernised the liturgy, including more active participation by the congregation.

Read more on Reuters

“It’s impossible to know where that path will lead by the end of 2024 — but these next two years could easily turn out to be the most decisive since Vatican II.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Benedict, who as a young priest had served as a theological adviser to Cardinal Josef Richard Frings at Vatican II, later came to believe that the changes had weakened the church.

Read more on Washington Post