Vatican Council II

This eye-witness account of the monumental Second Vatican Council, first serialized in The New Yorker magazine, remains a classic work of religious history as it was being made. Writing under the pseudonym Xavier Rynne, Redemptorist priest Francis X. Murphy captured the attention of the English-speaking world with what is the first-ever insider's account of a church council while it was in process. (A full four-volume history was published when the Council concluded in 1965).

Capturing the essential issues and personalities that drove this unique and historic assembly, the first in almost 100 years. Vatican Council II is particularly astonishing for it's frank treatment of the political and theological maneuverings behind the scenes, as well as the debates as they unfolded in each session. This edition includes a new Introduction by Father Murphy himself, describing the book's background, his reason for using a pseudonym, and offering a fascinating insider's assessment of the legacy of the Second Vatican Council.