Lumen Gentium: The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium: The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. This dogmatic constitution was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964, following approval by the assembled bishops by a vote of 2,151 to 5. As is customary with significant Roman Catholic Church documents, it is known by its incipit, "Lumen gentium", which in Latin means "Light of the Nations".