The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) was the most significant event in the history of the Catholic Church in the 20th century. However, work on the global reception of the council’s vision has barely begun.

This joint project, led by the Centre for the Study of the Second Vatican Council (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies), The Research Centre for the Studies of the Second Vatican Council (Australian Catholic University, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy), and the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology (Tilburg University) seeks to advance research into the global reception of Vatican II on four key themes: Revelation, Church, Ecumenism, and Education. This project holds in tension three dimensions of inquiry: the appropriate interrelationship between (1) the historical reconstruction of the debates and drafting during the council; (2) the intertextual relationship between the documents; and (3) the global reception of the council’s comprehensive vision within multiple contexts over the last 60 years.

There will be yearly seminars held in Leuven or Rome, involving the research team as well as invited members of the advisory board, which is made up of leading experts from across the world. Each seminar will result in the publication of an edited volume which will contribute to the global reception of Vatican II.