Vatican II :: social issues

Vatican II As I was interviewing my Grandmother, i learned just how strict and almost demanding growing up on a catholic family could be. My grandmother’s name is Margaret. She was born in 1940 and grew up in a very strong religious home. She attended a Catholic school as well as her other ten siblings. Besides going to a catholic school, her home life was also spent in strong prayers. During her late teen years, that was when the changes took place. Let’s get into detail. Vatican II was the 21st worldwide council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, which she said became the symbol of the church's openness to the modern world. She acknowledged that the council was announced by Pope John XXIII on January 25, 1959, and held 178 meetings in the autumn of each of four successive years. The first gathering was on October 11, 1962, and the last on December 8, 1965. Of 2908 bishops and others eligible to attend, 2540 from all parts of the world participated in the opening meeting. She says that the U.S. commission of 241 members was second in size only to that of Italy. Asian and African bishops played a well-known role in the council's discussions. Only Communist nations were lightly represented, the result of government pressures. The average attendance at the meetings was 2200. Vatican II, as what Margaret has said from the above information, was a very large and important meeting in the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican II has altered the Roman Catholic Church more that any other council that took place. My grandfather, who I also interviewed, said that it has great significance as it made the church more reasonable and realistic. The Church, after the council, was much more â€Å"down-to-earth and open-mindedâ€Å" stated the two of them. One of Vatican II's changes that took place was that Mass became â€Å"vernacularâ€Å". She thought that this change was very important because it made her feel more at a personal level when mass was held seeing as though the priest was speaking her language. It made them feel more at home and increased their understanding and ability to respond. Another very major and important change that took place due to Vatican II was the relationship with the Church and the world. "The Church is a human Organization steered by the Holy Spirit and composed of the gifts and talents of its members.