The Pope heads the Roman Catholic Church and resides in the Vatican, its own autonomous state within the city limits of Rome. A pope is elected by the college of cardinals after the death of his predecessor. Once elected, he will be pope for the rest of his life. Pope Paul VI was pope from 1963 until his death in 1978.
Montini
On September 26, 1897, Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini was born in Concesio , a town near Brescia in Italy. At a young age he chose a life within the Church. Due to health problems, he trained as a priest at home in Brescia. In 1920 he was ordained a priest.
Nice head
The young Montini had more to offer, and the same year obtained a doctorate in canon law in Milan, the church law that is applied in the ecclesiastical courts on the basis of the Bible, the apostolic tradition, the findings of church doctors and the writings of the church fathers. Montini then continued his studies in Rome, at the Pontifical Gregorian University and also at the Pontifical Ecclesiastic Academy . The latter can be regarded as the diplomat training. He received his doctorate in 1921.
Politics
Montini became active in the Vatican Secretariat of State in 1922 and was added to the nunciature in Warsaw, i.e. the Vatican embassy in Warsaw, in 1923. That would turn out to be only a short excursion, because he was soon back in Rome, where he would be moderator of the Catholic Student Union of Italy from 1925 to 1933. In 1937, Giovanni Montini became the assistant to the Vatican Secretary of State Eugenio Pacelli. This would later be elected Pope Pius XII . It was not only politics that Montini was concerned with, because from 1931 he taught church history as a professor at the Ecclesiastic Academy.
Archbishop
In 1954, Montini was appointed Archbishop of Milan by Pope Pius XII. Montini committed himself to the fate of the workers in Milan. He also advocated liturgical innovation.
Cardinal
In 1958, Angelo Roncalli was elected Pope John XXIII by the College of Cardinals. There were only 53 cardinals in that college at that time, most of whom were also very old. Pope John XXIII expanded the college by creating a number of new cardinals. In the same year, 1958, Montini was created cardinal priest . A cardinal is not appointed, but created. There are three ranks of cardinal: cardinal-deacon, cardinal-priest and cardinal-bishop.
The Second Vatican Council
The new era made it necessary for the Roman Catholic Church to be brought up to date again. All kinds of matters, including the organization and worship services, had to be discussed. Pope John XXIII had convened the Second Vatican Council for this purpose. Montini was appointed as a member of the central committee. He also became chairman of the council’s committee for political questions. He published open letters in the newspaper about the council.
Pope John XXIII
The Second Vatican Council was convened by Pope John XXIII, who was already old when he was elected pope. The first session of the council took place in 1962. Pope John XXIII was only able to experience that first session, he died in 1963.
Pope Paul VI / Source: Inmaculadamg parroquia, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Conclave
After the burial of Pope John XXIII, the new college of cardinals, expanded by John, met in conclave. They needed only two days to decide on a new pope. Montini was chosen. He chose the name Paulus, making him the sixth with that name: Pope Paul VI. The popularity of his predecessor would not make it easy for Paul.
The Second Vatican Council
Paul continued the council that had begun in 1962. At the opening of the second term of office, Paul once again indicated what the objectives should be in his view:
- Renewing, bringing the Church up to date
- Restoration of Christian unity
- The Church had to enter into dialogue with the contemporary world
- Increasing the Church’s self-knowledge.
According to Paul, the intention was not to formulate new dogmas or doctrines, but to make the current doctrine more understandable to the faithful people.
Synod of Bishops
One of the innovations of the Second Vatican Council was the establishment of the Synod of Bishops. This should be a consultative body of the bishops among themselves, and of the bishops together with the pope. Pope Paul VI thus responded to the call for democratization. Yet the position of the pope himself was not affected, the emphasis was on collegiality. The synod has the highest authority, but only if the Pope agrees. In other words: the Pope has the last word.
New mass
One of the things that immediately became clear after the council in all churches within the Catholic Church from 1969-1970 was the introduction of a new order of mass, the Novus Ordo Missae , which replaced the Tridentine rite . This meant that texts of the Eucharist were adapted and the Mass was now said in the vernacular. When presiding, the priest no longer turned to a main altar that faced east, because that always meant that he stood with his back to the people. From then on, the priest turned towards the people when serving the mass.
Encyclicals
Like every pope, Paul VI also wrote a number of encyclicals. An encyclical is an important papal document of a doctrinal nature. The word comes from Greek and literally means circular. An encyclical is almost always written in Latin. Encyclicals of Paul VI:
- August 6, 1964: Ecclesiam suam, with themes on the council
- September 2 1965: Mysterium fidei, also with themes about the council
- April 29, 1965: Mense Maio, dealing with the month of May and the rosary
- September 15, 1966: Christi Matri Rosarii, dealing with special prayers in honor of Mary, during the month of October
- March 26, 1967: Populorum Progressio: dealing with the gap between poor and rich countries
- June 24, 1967: Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, dealing with celibacy
- July 25, 1968: Humanae Vita, dealing with birth control
Paul VI showed that he was concerned about papal authority. On social issues and issues of world peace, Paul VI was open and progressive.
College of Cardinals
Paul VI made a number of far-reaching changes to the College of Cardinals:
- Cardinals aged 80 or older were no longer allowed to participate in the Conclave when electing a new pope.
- When a bishop or curia official reached the age of 75, he was expected to resign voluntarily.
- Paul appointed a large number of new cardinals, greatly expanding the College of Cardinals.
Through all these measures, Paul was able to renew and rejuvenate the College of Cardinals. While in the past many cardinals from the College were originally Italian, the composition of the College became much more international due to the appointment of cardinals in other countries and continents. This explains why after Paul VI, two new popes were already elected, who came from countries other than Italy: John Paul II from Poland, Benedict XVI from Germany. The four hundred years before this were all Italian popes.
Shocked
In the late 1920s, Paul VI, as Montini, had befriended Aldo Moro, later leader of the Italian Christian Democrats and Prime Minister of Italy. The terrorist group Red Brigades had kidnapped the now ex-prime minister and murdered him in May 1978. The already ill Paul VI was seriously shocked by this. A few months later, on August 6, 1978, Paul VI died of a heart attack at the age of 81.
Blessed
In October 2014, at the end of the synod of bishops held that year, Paul VI was beatified by Pope Francis. Paul VI was praised by Pope Francis for his ‘prophetic genius’.
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- Pope John XXIII
- The Conclave: The election of a new Pope
- The Second Vatican Council
- The First Vatican Council
- Council of Trent