From the perspective of institutional communication the Second Vatican Council can be
considered the most significant media event of the 20th century organized by an institution.
This was due to its duration impact on millions of people and the media interest it aroused.
For the Catholic Church the management of the official information of this Assembly was an
undertaking of considerable proportions involving complex challenges. In this comprehensive
study the author examines the intricate path that the authorities followed to manage the
considerable demand for news that the Second Vatican Council generated and to deal with the
difficulties that emerged at each moment. It has been possible to consult numerous archives and
documents and access information that had not yet been made public. Divided into two parts
in the initial section the book presents the arduous process involved in the organization of
the Vatican II information services and their successive reforms throughout these years. This
process was accompanied by a lengthy reflection on the role of the media in the Council public
opinion within the Church and the intricate relationship between the silence imposed to
guarantee the free discussion of the Council Fathers and the necessity to give information
about the progress of Vatican II. The second part deals with the significant role played by the
media in the Council and treats the main communicative problems that marked the course of
Vatican II.
