Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , addressed relations between the Catholic Church and the modern world. The council, through the Holy See, was formally opened under the pontificate of Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and was closed under Pope Paul VI on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December 1965.
Second Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
The synod opened with Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on the morning of 24 November 1985, the Feast of Christ the King. The pope and 165 bishops, all wearing choir dress, processed through the basilica on the same path as during the opening ceremony of the first session of the Second Vatican Council. The bishops took their seats on elevated platforms facing the pope, amidst choirs singing liturgical music. In his homily, Pope John Paul II encouraged the bishops to revive the Spirit of Vatican II, saying:"We start the synod process in this eucharistic celebration with the same willingness to listen to the Holy Spirit, with the same love for the Church, with the same gratitude to Divine Providence that were present in the council Fathers twenty years ago. During the next two weeks all the members of the synod, among whom there are many people who lived in the exceptional grace of the council, they will walk together with the council to revive the spiritual atmosphere of this great ecclesiastical event and to promote, in the light of key documents then issued and the experience gained over the next two decades, the full flowering of new life aroused by the Holy Spirit and ecumenical attention at this, for the greater glory of God and for the coming of his Kingdom."Later in the homily, he expressed his desire for greater unity both within the Catholic Church and amongst all Christians, specifically acknowledging the presence of the observer-delegates from other denominations. After Mass, Pope John Paul II gave his inaugural address to open the synod. In the address, the pope presented a spiritual theme, but did not deliver specific instructions, appearing to give the bishops flexibility in choosing the synod's direction. He encouraged them to forge new "vistas" for the Church's mission. The pope said:"In this time of ours, when from various sides the primacy of man is set up in opposition to the primacy of God, the Council in a convincing manner makes aware that the 'kingdom of man' can find its proper dimension only in the Kingdom of God."Many bishops praised the pope's opening address, appreciating his commitment to the ideals of Vatican II and his hope for its continued realization. The American Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, described the speech as optimistic and encouraging, saying, "My hope is that the synod will motivate us all to continue this kind of reflection and evaluation." In addition to the pope's speech, Cardinal John Krol, one of three delegate-presidents, also gave an opening speech, described by one Catholic magazine as "magnificent." Cardinal Gabriel-Marie Garrone, the President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, gave a reflective address discussed the Second Vatican Council. Following the opening ceremony, Pope John Paul II addressed the hundreds of young people who had gathered in St. Peter's Square, many of them congregated around a large wooden cross that the pope had gifted to the "youth of the world."