No changes were made to the Eucharist itself by the Second Vatican Council. The doctrine of transubstantiation, or the changing of the essence of bread and wine into the essence of the Body and Blood of Christ is still the same. The only differences were to the liturgy. These included the language of the Mass changing from Latin to the vernacular of the community, the Ordinary of the Mass, the orientation of the altar, among other changes. It should be said that the Missal of 1962 (prior to Vatican II) was never repeal, but simply fell out of normal use in favor of the 1969 Missal and the two subsequent Missals.
The following is Pope Benedict XVI's letter to the bishops detailing this notion.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20070707_lettera-vescovi_en.html
Roman Catholic Answer, wait, just call this my viewpoint:In many ways, when the Vatican was redoing the Mass (the Eucharist), they were trying to get back to the way it was done in the first several centuries of the Church. They tried to remove things that they thought had been added for no good reason, or what they viewed as mindless repetitions. They also tried to take the focus off of sacrifice and put more emphasis on the community. The Council had called for the readings to be in English, the priests working on the new Mass asked for everything to be translated into the vernacular. This has been a mixed blessing, if one can be the charitable. The current Holy Father, Pope Benedict, has freed the older rite, the older version of the Mass - pre-Vatican II and I believe we will see it celebrated more and more as the years go on.
The Second Vatican Council called for a noble simplicity in the Holy Mass, it specified that: 50. The rite of the Mass is to be revised in such a way that the intrinsic nature and purpose of its several parts, as well as the connection between them, may be more clearly manifested, and that devout and active participation by the faithful may be more easily achieved....
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51. The treasurers of The Bible are to be opened up more lavishly so that a richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God's word. In this way a more representative part of the sacred Scriptures will be read to the people in the course of a prescribed number of years.
Etc. The Council also called for the restoration of several things which had been lost over the centuries, like the "prayer of the faithful" after the Gospel and the homily, and called for a suitable place to be allotted to the vernacular in Masses celebrated with the people especially in the readings and "common prayer". Nevertheless, the Council insisted that Latin was to be retained and the people were to be able to sing and say together those parts of the Ordinary in Latin which pertain to them.
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See the attached link below for the document on the Sacred Liturgy, particularly Chapter I, Section III. The Reform of the Sacred Liturgy, and Chapter II The Most Sacred Mystery of the Eucharist
Visible and audible: language of liturgy changed to local vernacular- in the case of the United States- English. Celebrant faces the congregation- which brought about the flat topped or ( Flying washboard) altars. Some minor changes in customs and practices not directly liturgical- statuary toned down, broader range of hymns, etc. an attempt at ( Updating) that well, like all movements there were highs, and lows, and some , well turbulent currents. The flying washboard idea was not liked by all- and was slow in phasing in. I attended what I believed was a Catholic Mass in England in l966 and the Clergyman in Black clerical robes- used Latin for most of the mass, and had his back towards the congregation- this was Roman Catholic- not Episcopal. I only vaguely mention this, Perhaps there were cooling-off periods for regular clergy such as Benedictines, Dominicans, etc, which had their own rituals and habits.
The Vatican declared it valid.
Vatican Council II (1962 - 1965) was held in Vatican City located in Rome, Italy.
Yes
Vatican II lasted approximately 3 years: 1962-1965.
After the Vatican Council II closed, the Popes started to implement the changes that were asked for by the Council. They are still in the process of that in the early 21st century, and will be at it for another fifty years. The Church doesn't move on the same time schedule as the modern world.
In Vatican City, thus the name Vatican Council II.
Before, women could not do readings, pass out communion, or female children could not be altar servers.
Popes John XXIII and Paul VI were popes during Vatican II.
The phrase "source and summit of the Christian life" refers to the Eucharist, and can be found in The Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, no. 11. In paragraph 1324, The Catechism statesThe Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."REFERENCESLibreria Editrice Vaticana. Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1994).Flannery, A. ed. The Basic Sixteen Documents - Vatican Council II - Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations, (Northport, NY: Costello Publishing Company, 1996).
Roman Catholic AnswerThe central sacrament in Christianity is the most holy Eucharist, the "source and summit of the Christian life" (Vatican Council II). It is the sacrament to which all of the others tend and/or flow from. The Eucharist is the actual Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ.
Pope Paul VI closed Vatican II.
Gilles Routhier has written: 'Vatican II' -- subject(s): Catholic Church, History, Influence, Vatican Council (2nd : 1962-1965) 'Receptins De Vatican II'