Vatican II (the Second Vatican Council) took place from 11 October 1962 to 8 December 1965.

Quick Scoop: Key dates

  • Announced by Pope John XXIII on 25 January 1959.
  • Opened on 11 October 1962 in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.
  • Held in four autumn sessions from 1962 to 1965.
  • Officially closed on 8 December 1965 by Pope Paul VI.

In short, when people ask “when was Vatican 2?”, they usually mean that it ran between 1962 and 1965. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.