October 11, 1962: The Second Vatican Council Is Convened

October 11, 1962: Pope John XXIII opens the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, and the 1st since the First Vatican Council in 1869-70. This Second Council becomes widely known as "Vatican II."

The Pope called the Council because he felt the Church needed "updating" -- what he called, in Italian, aggiornamento. In order to connect with 20th Century people in an increasingly secularized world, some of the Church's practices needed to be improved, and its teaching needed to be presented in a way that would appear relevant and understandable to them. For this, Time magazine named him its Man of the Year for 1962.

Many Council participants were sympathetic to this, while others saw little need for change and resisted efforts in that direction. But support for aggiornamento won out over resistance to change, despite the fact that he died while it was in progress, on June 3, 1963. His successor, Pope Paul VI, was a full supporter of John's reforms, and kept the Council going, closing it on December 8, 1965.

As a result, the 16 magisterial documents produced by the council proposed significant developments in doctrine and practice: An extensive reform of the liturgy, a renewed theology of the Church, of revelation and of the laity, a new approach to relations between the Church and the world, to ecumenism, to non-Christian religions, and to religious freedom.

Among the more notable reforms was allowing Mass in each country's native language, so that it was no longer necessary to deliver the Mass in Latin; and removing the restriction on eating meat on Friday. (The exception is during Lent, when it is still forbidden. For those times when St. Patrick's Day, which is usually during Lent, falls on a Friday, exceptions are sometimes made, due to the tradition of corned beef and cabbage.)

John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, and known in his time as "The Good Pope," was canonized in 2014: St. John XXIII.

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October 11, 1962 was a Thursday. Actress Joan Cusack was born.

It was a travel day in the World Series, which the New York Yankees would win over the San Francisco Giants. Football was in midweek. The NBA season started 5 days later.

There were 2 games played in the NHL. The New York Rangers lost to the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1 at the old Madison Square Garden. And the Boston Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens, 5-0 at the Boston Garden. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Black Hawks were not scheduled.