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The reception of the Vatican II Council depends among other things on the prescriptive character of some documents published by the Council. In this paper we purport to examine to what extent the Canadian and Quebec episcopate has used the Gaudium et spes Constitution. A rhetorical analysis already yields insights. Gaudium et spes simultaneously offers a basis for discussion, a justification for public speaking, and even a model for it. A few precise examples illustrate our argument such as sexual and family ethics as well as socio-economic ethics. Gaudium et spes is less often cited as a reference nowadays. It draws upon the epidictic and demonstrative genres. In what respect can it be said that Gaudium et spes has become a classic?