Justin Hibbard continues our series on the 21 Ecumenical Councils by examining the 21st and most recent ecumenical council. Why was this by far the largest ecumenical council? Who beyond the Bishops attended this council? How did the council fathers wrestle power away from the Curia? What decisions did it make? How did it call for liturgical reforms? And why has Vatican II received a bad rap?

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SOURCES:

* Papal Encyclicals: The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council

* The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church: A History by Joseph Kelly

* Video: General Councils 15: Vatican II - Fr Timothy Matkin - St Francis Dallas

* Timeline of Vatican II

* Vatican News: An Overview of the Second Vatican Council

* A Pastoral and Dogmatic Council

PREVIOUS EPISODES IN THIS SERIES

* Episode 146: Introduction to the 21 Ecumenical Councils

* Episode 147: The World that Led to the Council of Nicaea

* Episode 148: The First Council of Nicaea (325)

* Episode 149: From Nicaea to Constantinople

* Episode 150: The First Council of Constantinople (381)

* Episode 151: The Council of Ephesus (431)

* Episode 152: The Council of Chalcedon (451)

* Episode 153: The Second Council of Constantinople (553)

* Episode 154: War Among the Monotheists

* Episode 155: The Third Council of Constantinople (680-681)

* Episode 156: The Second Council of Nicaea (787)

* Episode 157: Reflections on the First Seven Ecumenical Councils

* Episode 158: The Fourth Council of Constantinople (869-870)

* Episode 159: The Great Schism

* Episode 160: The First Lateran Council (1123)

* Episode 161: The Second Lateran Council (1139)

* Episode 162: The Third Lateran Council (1179)

* Episode 163: The Fourth Lateran Council (1215)

* Episode 164: The First Council of Lyon (1245)

* Episode 165: The Second Council of Lyon (1274)

* Episode 166: The Council of Vienne (1311-1312)

* Episode 167: The Avignon Papacy & The Great Western Schism

* Episode 168: The Council of Constance (1414-1418)

* Episode 169: The Council of Florence (1431-1445)

* Episode 170: The Fifth Lateran Council (1512-1517)

* Episode 171: The Protestant Revolution

* Episode 172: The Council of Trent (1545-1563)

* Episode 173: The First Vatican Council (1869-1870)

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