At Vatican II, the pope said, the church recognized its responsibility to “proclaim the Gospel in a new way.”

“I’ve joked with friends: I’ll come back to the church when it restores the old Mass—celebrated by women priests.”

Looking back 55 years after the beginning of Vatican II, what have we learned and what have we forgotten?

When a pope issues a document “motu proprio,” it means he does so by his own motivation, and it can mean a significant change to church law.

Cardinal Cupich said the pope is making clear that Vatican II documents are authoritative and permanent.

The reform of the liturgy introduced by Vatican II is here to stay.