Documents of the Vatican II Council

"This schematism of a before and after in the history of the Church, wholly unjustified by the documents of Vatican II, which do nothing but reaffirm the continuity of Catholicism, must be decidedly opposed. There is no 'pre-' or 'post-' conciliar Church: there is but one, unique Church that walks the path toward the Lord, ever deepening and ever better understanding the treasure of faith that he himself has entrusted to her. There are no leaps in this history, there are no fractures, and there is no break in continuity. In no wise did the Council intend to introduce a temporal dichotomy in the Church."—The Ratzinger Report (San Francisco: Ignatius Press 1985, p.35)

"Vatican II today stands in a twilight. For a long time it has been regarded by the so-called progressive wing as completely surpassed and, consequently, as a thing of the past, no longer relevant to the present. By the opposite side, the 'conservative' wing, it is, conversely, viewed as the cause of the present decadence of the Catholic Church and even judged as an apostasy from Vatican I and from the Council of Trent. Consequently demands have been made for its retraction or for a revision that would be tantamount to a retraction." "Over against both tendencies, before all else, it must be stated that Vatican II is upheld by the same authority as Vatican I and the Council of Trent, namely, the Pope and the College of Bishops in communion with him, and that also with regard to its contents, Vatican II is in the strictest continuity with both previous councils and incorporates their texts word for word in decisive points."

From this two conclusions were drawn:

FIRST: "It is impossible ('for a Catholic') to take a position for Vatican II but against Trent or Vatican I. Whoever accepts Vatican II, as it has clearly expressed and understood itself, at the same time accepts the whole binding tradition of the Catholic Church, particularly also the two previous councils. And that also applies to the so-called 'progressivism', at least in its extreme forms."

SECOND: "It is likewise impossible to decide in favor of Trent and Vatican I, but against Vatican II. Whoever denies Vatican II denies the authority that upholds the other two councils and thereby detaches them from their foundation. And this applies to the so-called 'traditionalism', also in its extreme forms."

"Every partisan choice destroys the whole (the very history of the Church) which can exist only as an indivisible unity."

Cf. Thesen zum Thema 'Zehn Jahre Vaticanum—Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, typewritten manuscript, 1975

The Documents of the Second Vatican Council are arranged in one of three categories:

Constitutions
Declarations
Decrees

You can view the entire document on the Vatican web site or view a document outline using the following links.

Constitutions

Dei Verbum—DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON DIVINE REVELATION Outline
Lumen Gentium—DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH Outline
Sacrosanctum Concilium—CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY Outline
Gaudium et Spes—PASTORAL CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN WORLD Outline

Declarations

Gravissimum Educationis—DECLARATION ON CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Nostra Aetate—DECLARATION ON THE RELATION OF THE CHURCH TO NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS
Dignitatis Humanae—DECLARATION ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Decrees

Ad Gentes—DECREE ON THE MISSION ACTIVITY OF THE CHURCH
Presbyterorum Ordinis—DECREE ON THE MINISTRY AND LIFE OF PRIESTS
Apostolicam Actuositatem—DECREE ON THE APOSTOLATE OF THE LAITY
Optatam Totius—DECREE ON PRIESTLY TRAINING
Perfectae Caritatis—DECREE ON THE ADAPTATION AND RENEWAL OF RELIGIOUS
Christus Dominus—DECREE CONCERNING THE PASTORAL OFFICE OF BISHOPS IN THE CHURCH
Unitatis Redintegratio—DECREE ON ECUMENISM
Orientalium Ecclesiarum—DECREE ON THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES OF THE EASTERN RITE
Inter Mirifica—DECREE ON THE MEDIA OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS