A particularly rich period for Catholic thought was that of the Second Vatican Council. William Van Roo, S.I., professor of sacramental theology (baptism, confirmation and marriage), was editor of the magazine since 1958. Many professors of the Gregorian who wrote for Gregorianum were "used" by some bishops in commissions and their reflection groups, or as theologians in the personal service of such a council father or father with regard to a particular "question". That is why, during these years, the volume of articles published in Gregorianum decreases compared to the volume of reviews, which increase a lot: it is legitimate to affirm that, during these years, writers have listened to the universal theological production in order to make their discernment (and therefore their service to the Council) more competent, putting aside their personal opinions. Some articles, however, directly echo the work of the Council, for example the article by Jean Beyer, S.I., professor of canon law, on secular institutes, published in 1965/3, almost at the same time as the final vote (October 28, 1965) of the decree Perfectae caritatis (on religious life), which contains precisely a paragraph dealing with the status of these institutes (§ 11). However, such articles are rare; the magazine prefers not to refer to the events of the Council, not even in the "Notes" in which it continues, however, to point out and comment (positively and negatively) on the most important congresses and scientific meetings of the moment, for example in historical theology or in philosophy.

After the Council some texts are published that underline the renewing orientations coming from the decisions of the Council Fathers and taken by the Gregorian. For example, in 1966/1 we will see a text by Edouard Hamel, S.I. on the use of Sacred Scripture in moral theology (the author will continue his reflection in 1971/3, 1973/3, 1975/2) and the reflection of Josef Fuchs, S.I. on religious freedom. The magazine also highlights the importance of the continuity of tradition, which Vatican II does not break; a note by Zoltán Alzeghy, in the same issue at the beginning of 1966, compares the Lutheran professorships of faith and the doctrine of Trent on the question of original sin. The first issue of 1968 will be entirely dedicated to Peter and Paul, "Princes of the Apostles" (remember that the Second Vatican Council focused on the ministry of bishops, after Vatican I had dealt with the pontifical ministry).

The novelty of Vatican II and its need for the way of doing and teaching theolo-gyo are however strongly affirmed in a special issue of 1969/3-4 dedicated, on the initiative of Peter Henrici, S.I., director of Gregorianum since 1968, to the "Horizon of Theological Teaching". Some of the authors of this issue, who are not part of the Gregorian's body of professors, are of great authority (Hans Urs von Balthasar writes on "Theology and Spirituality", and Karl Rahner, S.I. on the right of theology to be pastoral); other authors, of the house, are also famous: Bernard Lonergan, S.I. (who had finished Insight and prepared Method in Theology), Juan Al-faro, S.I. (consultant to the Second Vatican Council, member for 10 years of the International Commission of Theology), Angel Antón, S.I. (ecclesiologist considered, specialist in the episcopal ministry), Josef Fuchs (moralist theologian, as prudent as he is contested), Peter Henrici (professor of modern philosophy, future bishop in Switzerland), Mariasusai Dhavamony, S.I. (phenomenologist of religions), Hervé Carrier, S.I. (sociologist, rector of the Gregorian from 1966 to 1978, author of the very significant introductory article on the situation at the time: "The responsibilities of the modern university"). All of these essays illustrate how much post-conciliar theology had broadened its horizon. We are very far from the internal discussions of the scholastic linguistic game, from its internal problems. The ancient and living tradition of the Church rediscovered full dignity in theology.

We quickly present some of these articles. Lonergan's article was of a methodological nature, as was the author's entire work: the reflection on the theological method imposed an almost new necessity, the school method no longer being the only reliable one. Placing Sacred Scripture at the center of dogmatics was also relatively new; just twenty years earlier, some important theologians of the time claimed that the systematic formality of Thomism, with its beautiful unity, was more certain and certain than the Gospels, which are on the other hand four and do not agree with each other: Alpharo's article therefore has its importance. For Antón, ecclesiology, with its anthropological aspects, can be situated in a point that makes possible a new vision of the whole of theology; in this manifests the need for a theology at the service of a faith that makes sense for the life of the believer, that is adapted to the needs of contemporary epistemology and not only to the questions born within the self-referential system of scholasticism.

In the following years the policy of the magazine remains faithful to this new approach. Preconciliar school problems disappeared almost entirely. The attention to contemporary dynamics and their critical assumption is evident. The emphasis is on anthropological reflection involved in theological and philosophical statements. A sign of this is the multiplication of articles on philosophy, by Joseph de Finance, S.I. (professor of philosophical ethics, fruitful author in ethics as much personalist as Thomist), by Francis O'Farrell, S.I. (professor of metaphysics) on Kant, Peter Henrici on Blondel or on the interweaving of faith and reason, Xavier Tilliette, S.I. (professor invited each year) on German idealism, Schelling and his descendants, Joannes B. Lotz, S.I. (also invited annually) on Heidegger, etc.