St. Paul VI

A reading from The New Catholic Encyclopedia on
POPE ST PAUL VI 6
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He was born with the name of Giovanni Baptista Montini in September 26, 1897. His father, Giorgio was a lawyer, politician and member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. The young Montini was plagued with numerous physical ailments. He was ordained at the age of 22 on May 29, 1920. He was then sent to Rome where he attended the Academy which was geared to the training of diplomats. He began his service of thirty years in the Vatican Secretariat of State. During those years he was also active as a chaplain to the Catholic Students at the University of Rome.

He was named Undersecretary of State in 1924. He served in that office for thirty years. He was named Archbishop of Milan in 1954. He rebuilt churches that had been destroyed during the war and made every effort to win back the working class from Communist influences. Devoted to the disadvantaged, he was a frequent visitor to hospitals, orphanages, homes of the aged and prisons.
After Pope John XXIII was elected and announced the Second Vatican Council, he appointed Montini to the Central Preparatory Commission. He took a very active part in the First Session of the Council in 1962. Pope John died in 1963 and Montini was elected as his successor. It was felt that he would continue the process of the Council. He chose the name of Paul VI and was determined that, like Paul the Apostle, his pontificate would spread the Gospel to the entire world. In his first message as Pope he set forth his agenda: to continue Vatican II, to revise Canon Law, to work for peace and justice at all levels, and to seek Christian Unity.

Paul was well equipped to deal with the Council because of his long experience in the Secretariat of state. He knew the Curia thoroughly. Their actions may not have always pleased him, but they rarely surprised him. He was actively involved in the three sessions of the Council over which he presided. He suggested amendments to several of the documents: ecumenism, missionary activity, revelation, Eastern Catholic Churches and religious liberty.

One issue that he held back from the Council was that of Birth Control. He set up a Commission of Lay people to consider the issue. However eventually he came to his own conclusion and issued the encyclical Humanae Vitae which forbade the use of artificial contraceptives. The encyclical created a crisis in the Church. Paul himself came to refer to the document as “a painful document in our episcopacy”.

The last ten years of his pontificate were difficult for Paul VI. He was more withdrawn and troubled by the negative reaction to Humanae Vitae, the polarity between conservatives and liberals, the massive departure from priestly and religious life, and the lack of vocations. The Pope told Jean Guiton that Archbishop Lefebvre, who defiantly opposed the liturgical reform was “the greatest cross of my pontificate”.

Debilitating arthritis and acute cystitis weakened him in the summer of 1978. On August 6, 1978 he died of a heart attack at Castel Gandolfo. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI and canonized by Pope Francis.

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New Catholic Encyclopedia – vol. 11 = Catholic University of America – Washington D.C.