VATICAN - The Pope’s Message to the Congress on Vatican Council II in the Pontificate of John Paul II: “The vast doctrinal patrimony, which we rediscover in its Dogmatic Constitutions in its Declarations and Decrees, still stimulates us to a deep appraisal of the Word of the Lord in order to apply it to the Church today.”

Vatican City (Agencia Fides) – “I cannot help but rejoice in light of the theme chosen, as it is one that unites two subjects which are of great importance to me: the Second Vatican Council, which I had the honor of participating in as an expert, and the person of my beloved predecessor John Paul II, who offered a significant personal contribution as a Council Father in that Council, and later by divine will, exercised his role as its primary executor during the years of his Pontificate.” These were the words of the Holy Father Benedict XVI in a Message to participants in the International Congress on “Vatican Council II in the Pontificate of John Paul II,” organized by the St. Bonaventure Theological Faculty and the Institute for Documentation and Study of the Pontificate of John Paul II.
In a Message written to Fr. Marco Tasca, minister general of the Friars Minor Conventual and chancellor of the St. Bonaventure Pontifical Theological Faculty (the "Seraphicum"), the Pope highlighted that “the Council came forth from the great heart of Pope John XXIII,” although it would be more exact to say that “like all the great events in Church history, it came forth from the heart of God, from His saving will…Placing divine salvation at the disposal of mankind today was the main motivation that led Pope John to hold the Council and it was the perspective with which we all worked, as Fathers.”
Benedict XVI recalled that since his election as Pope, he has had the opportunity of reaffirming “the conciliar documents have not lost their relevance with the passing of time,” and mentioned how his predecessor, John Paul II, “in almost every document he produced, and even more so in his decisions and acts as Pontiff, welcomed the fundamental tenets of Vatican II, thus becoming a qualified interpreter and coherent witness of the Council.” His constant concern was to make everyone aware of the advantages that would ensue from welcoming the conciliar vision, “not only for the good of the Church, but also for that of civil society and of the people in it.”
The Holy Father continued, saying: “We are all debtors of that extraordinary ecclesial event. The vast doctrinal patrimony, which we rediscover in its Dogmatic Constitutions in its Declarations and Decrees, still stimulates us to a deep appraisal of the Word of the Lord in order to apply it to the Church today, bearing in mind the many requirements of the men and women of the modern world, who have an urgent need to know and experience the light of Christian hope."
In concluding his Message, Benedict XVI mentions: “the yearning for humanity’s salvation, which filled the hearts of the Council Fathers and led them in their quest to find solutions to many of today’s problems, was no less alive in the heart of Saint Bonaventure as he sought to respond to the hopes and anxieties of the men of his time. As the Doctor Seraphicus, in the richness of his thought, can still offer you valid guidelines with which to approach the conciliar documents in order to seek satisfying answers to the many questions of our time…The ultimate goal for all our activity should be our communion with the living Lord. Likewise, for the Second Vatican Council Fathers, the ultimate objective of all the elements of renewal in the Church was to lead her to the living God revealed in Jesus Christ.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 29/10/2008)