What Happened at Vatican II

John W. O’Malley was University Professor in the Department of Theology at Georgetown University and the author of many books, including Four Cultures of the West, Trent, Vatican I, What Happened at Vatican II, and The First Jesuits (all from Harvard); The First Jesuits has been translated into twelve languages. He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the American Philosophical Society, and a recipient of the Harvard Centennial Medal as well as Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Society for Italian Historical Studies, the Renaissance Society of America, and the American Catholic Historical Association. O’Malley was a member of the Society of Jesus and a Roman Catholic priest.

• * Preface * Introduction * Big Perspectives on a Big Meeting * The Long Nineteenth Century * The Council Opens * The First Period (1962): The Lines Are Drawn * The Second Period (1963): A Majority Prevailing * The Third Period (1964): Triumphs and Tribulations * The Fourth Period (1965): Bringing the Ship into Port * Conclusion * Chronology of Vatican II * Council Participants Frequently Mentioned * Abbreviations * Notes * Index

Father O’Malley has written one of the best and most needed books about [the Second Vatican Council]… [A] superb history… How the bishops took charge of the agenda and radically reshaped the outcome is a story of bold confrontations, clashing personalities and behind-the-scenes maneuvers, all recounted in colorful detail by Father O’Malley. A majority of bishops seemed primed for change, yet the path to final agreement was strewn with obstacles, whether from the stalwarts of the status quo or papal interventions. This is a tale with plenty of cliffhangers.