About this Guide
Special attention should be given to the date of publication of the resources you select for your papers. The Catholic Church underwent tremendous changes in 1965 with the Second Vatican Council. As a result, materials published before 1965 represent an historic view of Catholic theology. Materials published after 1965 reflect current Catholic theology.
Finding Church Documents
- Vatican Website - ArchiveIncludes the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as documents from First and Second Vatican Councils.
- Vatican Website - Papal ArchiveThe official website of The Vatican has documents from all the popes back to late 1800s.
- Papal Encyclicals OnlineThis site is not run by The Vatican, but is considered a reputable reference source for papal and other official Church documents. Documents date back to the 1200s. You can browse by Church Council, by Pope, or by topic.
- The sixteen documents of Vatican II and the instruction on the liturgyThis is a book in the Emmanuel library. Click the link to see if it's currently available and get the call number.
- Vatican Council II : more postconciliar documentsThis is a book in the Emmanuel library. Click the link to see if it's currently available and get the call number.