St. Paul VI
“Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity.”
St. Paul VI guided the Second Vatican Council to completion and served the Church through dialogue, reform, missionary travel, and courageous teaching.
The story
Giovanni Battista Montini was born on September 26, 1897, in Concesio, near Brescia in northern Italy. His father, Giorgio, was a Catholic journalist and political leader. Giovanni entered the seminary and was ordained a priest on May 29, 1920. After studies in Rome, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He later served for many years in the Secretariat of State, working closely with Pope Pius XII during the Second World War and its aftermath.
In 1954, Pius XII appointed him archbishop of Milan, one of Europe’s largest dioceses. Archbishop Montini visited factories, working-class neighborhoods, and parishes. He preached a major mission throughout Milan and sought to bring the Gospel into a rapidly industrializing society. Pope St. John XXIII created him a cardinal in 1958. After John’s death, Cardinal Montini was elected pope on June 21, 1963, taking the name Paul VI.
Paul VI resumed the Second Vatican Council and guided its final three sessions. After the council closed in 1965, he directed the difficult work of implementing its decisions. He reformed parts of the Roman Curia and the liturgy, established the Synod of Bishops, and promoted ecumenical dialogue. His 1964 meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in Jerusalem helped heal ancient divisions. He was also the first reigning pope of the modern era to travel widely, visiting six continents and speaking before the United Nations in 1965.
His major writings included Populorum progressio on human development, Humanae vitae on the transmission of human life, and Evangelii nuntiandi on evangelization. Some of his decisions brought sharp criticism, yet he continued to teach what he believed fidelity to Christ and the Church required. Paul VI died at Castel Gandolfo on August 6, 1978. Pope Francis beatified him in 2014 and canonized him on October 14, 2018. His optional memorial in the General Roman Calendar falls on May 29, the anniversary of his priestly ordination.
What Paul teaches
St. Paul VI teaches that evangelization belongs to the Church’s deepest identity, even when the culture resists her message. His patient leadership also shows that authentic renewal must remain rooted in Christ and apostolic faith. See CCC 849.
Patronage
the Archdiocese of Milan, the Diocese of Brescia, Catholic evangelization, Christian unity.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you called St. Paul VI to guide your Church through years of great change. Through his intercession, give us courage to proclaim your truth with charity, patience, and fidelity. Amen.