Discover the "Council Notebooks"

The series of Council Notebooks, published by Shalom Editrice for the Dicastery for Evangelization, is made up of 34 short volumes on the four Conciliar Constitutions: Dei Verbum, Sacrosanctum Concilium, Lumen gentium, and Gaudium et Spes. The texts are written in very simple, direct language, which which holds the attention of the reader and provides a brief and concise presentation of the richness of Vatican II. In the letter that Pope Francis wrote to prepare for the 2025 Jubilee it is stated that ‘the four Constitutions of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, together with the magisterium of these decades, will continue to orient and guide the holy people of God, so that they may progress in the mission of bringing the joyful announcement of the Gospel to all’.

In his introduction to the series, edited by the Dicastery and published in Italian by Shalom, the Pope writes: “Preparing for the Jubilee of 2025 by taking up the fundamental texts of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council is a commitment that I ask everyone to make, seeing it as a moment of growth in faith".

The Notebooks can be purchased on all online platforms.

Index

1. The Second Vatican Council (E. Guerriero)

Dei Verbum

2. The Revelation of the Word of God (R. Fisichella)

3. Tradition (R. Fisichella)

4. Inspiration (A. Pitta)

5. Sacred Scripture in the life of the Church (M. Cardinali)

Sacrosanctum Concilium

6. The liturgy in the Mystery of the Church (A. Elberti)

7. Sacred Scripture in the liturgy (M. Compiani)

8. Experiencing the liturgy in the Parish (S. Riva)

9. The Eucharistic mystery (F. Sieni)

10. The Liturgy of the Hours (E. McNamara)

11. The Sacraments (D. Jurczak)

12. Sunday (G. Midili)

13. The highlights of the liturgical year (M. Barba)

14. Music in the liturgy (M. Frisina)

Lumen Gentium

16. The Mystery of the Church (C. Militello)

17. Images of the Church (M. G. Riva)

18. The people of God (S. Pié-Ninot)

19. The Church is for Evangelization (G. Morado)

  20. The Pope, the bishops, priests and  deacons (P. Goyret)

  21. The laity (M. Muolo)

  22. The Consecrated Life (V. Berzosa)

  23. Holiness, a universal vocation (F. M. Léthel)

  24. The Church on a pilgrimage towards completion (A. Schütz)

  25. Mary the first believer (L. Falasca)

Gaudium et Spes

  26. The Church in today's world (C. Pagazzi)

  27. The meaning of life (M. Tulli)

  28. Human Society (G. Cardinale)

  29. Autonomy and service (F. A. Grana)

  30. The family (A. Tornielli)

  31. Culture (F. Marchese Ragona)

  32. Economy and finance (D. Hillier)

  33. Politics (F. Giansoldati)

  34. Dialogue as a tool (I. Ingrao)

  35. Peace (N. Fabrizio)