Welcome to our first Cardijn Project feature which honours Joseph Cardijn's contribution to the Second Vatican Council which was held from 1962-65.

In the preparations for the Council, Cardijn was involved as an expert in the preparation notably in the work on the document on the laity.

Cardijn with Pat Keegan and Bartolo Perez, both former IYCW presidents and lay auditors at Vatican II

Cardijn was made a bishop and cardinal by Pope Paul VI at the beginning of 1965. He was thus able to participate as a Council father in the fourth and final session of the Second Vatican Council at the end of that year.

Cardijn made three speeches at the Council which can be downloaded below in PDF or doc format.

He prepared these speeches with the assistance of Fr Yves Congar, O.P., the well known French theologian (later Cardinal Congar). Congar's notes concerning his work with Cardijn can be found here in English and French.