"The glory of God is the living man," says St. Irenaeus. This same perception so dear to John Paul II is central to the vision of faith that underpins Vatican II, reemerges in its documents, and shines out of the long and intense witness of Pope John Paul II. The Church of Christ exists for mankind, reveals the Trinitarian mystery throughout the course of time, perfect in itself but waiting for all people to become part of that eternal glory. Therefore, the passion of God is mankind and its complete salvation, that is to say, its true happiness, its full realization. In these times, which have been described as dark and lacking in values, the passionate love of God and of every brother and sister shine forth ever stronger from Pope John Paul II. From the first years of his experience of faith, he was in love with Christ and every man and woman for whom he died. We could say that there is a profound symphony and reciprocity between the fundamental themes of the conciliar sessions of the twentieth century and those of the pontificate of John Paul II. They can be summed up in three closely linked points: Christ, Church, Mankind. And this was the theme of the international assembly on "Vatican II in the Pontificate of John Paul II" that the St. Bonaventure-Seraphicum Pontifical Theology Faculty and the John Paul II Foundation organized in October 2008. This volume gathers together the presentation in a rich and variegated reflection on the theme from different points of view. It has been made possible through the competent and dedicated work of the editors. Book jacket.