Polish Bishops and invited Bishops from other countries which took place during the Council in Pontificio Collegio Polacco, Piazza Remuria in Rome.

Second Vatican Council

We can affirm that the Second Vatican Council was a providential event, whereby the Church began the more immediate preparation for the Jubilee of the Second Millennium. A Council similar to earlier ones, yet very different; it was a Council that focused on the mystery of Christ and his Church and at the same time open to the world. This openness was an evangelical response to recent changes in the world, including the profoundly disturbing experiences of the Twentieth Century, a century scarred by the First and Second World Wars, by the experience of concentration camps and by horrendous massacres. All these events demonstrated most vividly the world’s need for purification; it needs to be converted (Tertio millenio adeviente 18)

The Second Vatican Council was a great gift to the Church, to all those who took part in it, to the entire human family, and to each of us individually. It is difficult to say something new about the Second Vatican Council. At the same time, we must always refer back to the Council, which is a duty and a challenge for the Church and for the world….

I had the particular fortune of being able to take part in the Council from the first day to the last… The Council was a unique occasion for listening to others, but also for creative thinking… At first, since I was young, I learned more than I contributed. Gradually, however, I came to participate in the Council in a more mature and creative manner” (Crossing the Threshold of Hope)

Read about Vatican II and Christ
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