What is the meaning of the expression 'pastoral' applied to the Second Vatican Council? This seems a most difficult question to answer. Vatican II was a pastoral council, presenting teachings in a new, enriched manner, in a style which was not assertive or censorious, but descriptive or narrative. It also inaugurated a new way of being Council, although one must be careful to ensure that an over-enthusiastic welcome of the Council as 'event' does not obscure the rich conciliar texts and constant teaching of the Church. This new conciliar style can perhaps be seen as the passage from what is...