is course of action in favor of first consulting among themselves. The Council Fathers included all bishops and a number of superiors of male religious orders. Issues on liturgy, mass communications, the Eastern Rite churches, and the nature of revelation were considered during the first period. The most significant event occurred when ôthe schema on revelation was rejected by a majority of bishops, and Pope John intervened to require its rewriting.ö
During the second period, the proposed number of schemas was lowered in number to seventeen and the requirement for secrecy was eliminated for general sessions of the Council. During his opening address for this period of Council, Pope John Paul set an agenda with four purposes:
To more fully define the nature of the church and the role of the bishop;
To restore unity among all Christians, including seeking pardon for Catholic contributions to separation; and,
To start a dialogue with the contemporary world.
The second period included approval by the bishops of the Sacrosanctium Concilium (constitution on the liturgy) and the Inter Mirifica (decree on the medial of social communication). The most controversial action was Joseph Cardinal FringsÆ open criticism of the Holy Office or the Inquisition.
The third period witnesses the further revision of proposed schemas and the approval of three of them: 1) Unitatis Redintegratio (on ecumenism); 2) Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Eastern Rite churches); and, 3) Lumen Gentium (constitution of the Church). Schemas pertaining to the life and ministry of priests and missionary activity were rejected, while the decree on religious freedom was stalled by controversy. Pope Paul ended the third period by making changes to the Eucharistic fast and made the ôformal declaration of Mary as æMother of the Church,Æ as had always been taught.ö
The fourth and final period of Vatican II began with Pope Paul forming a Synod of Bishop...