ONLY FIVE POPES LEFT!
Pope from June 21, 1963 - August 6, 1978
Lived: September 26, 1897 - August 6, 1978
Birth name: Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini
Who was this guy before he was pope?
Giovanni Montini was born in Lombardy in 1897. He was ordained a priest in 1920, and barely three years later was assigned to serve in the office of the papal nuncio in Warsaw, Poland. After his brief stint there, Giovanni spent nearly all of his remaining pre-papal career in service to the Roman Church, most especially to his mentor, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, later Pope Pius XII. Giovanni became co-Secretary of State in 1944, then was assigned as Archbishop of Milan 10 years later.
He wasn’t yet a cardinal by Pius’ death – which some considered as a slight by the late pope, considering that many thought he was a logical choice to succeed Pius XII – but, at any rate, he was given the red hat in 1958, almost immediately after St. John XXIII’s election.
Okay, give me the scoop on Paul VI.
Pope Paul VI was an obvious choice to follow St. John XXIII, considering his closeness both with John and Pope Pius XII, and it took just six conclave ballots to make it official. Paul started his papacy by scaling back on papal pomp, donating his papal tiara to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. and minimizing the grandiose papal coronation festivities, among other things. Paul opted to continue the Second Vatican Council – councils are suspended automatically when a pope dies – and saw it through to its 1965 conclusion.
As pope, Paul VI emphasized that the Church “doesn’t have a mission, it is a mission” and that the Church’s two millennia of tradition makes it “an expert in humanity.” He had a philosopher’s mind and a disciple’s heart, emphasizing that Jesus called all to lives of holiness, not just priests and religious.
As pope, Paul VI emphasized that the Church “doesn’t have a mission, it is a mission” and that the Church’s two millennia of tradition makes it “an expert in humanity.” He had a philosopher’s mind and a disciple’s heart, emphasizing that Jesus called all to lives of holiness, not just priests and religious.
Paul VI reigned for 15 years and died on August 6, 1978. He was declared Venerable by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2012, was beatified by Pope Francis in 2014, and was canonized – alongside martyred Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero – on October 14, 2018.
What was he known for?
Two words: Humanae Vitae. At a time when the Sexual Revolution was beginning to rage and entire religious world outside of Catholicism was declaring artificial contraception acceptable – albeit, at the time, only in the context of marriage, ostensibly as a way to space children – the question was finally posed to Paul VI.
The Holy Father convened a theological commission of clergy, laypeople, medical professionals, and several others to explore the question in light of Catholic tradition, and their result was, “Approve it!” The world expected Paul to do the same, but the good pope instead said, “Thanks, but....no.”
Paul VI not only rejected the commission’s recommendation but proceeded to write what would become his most famous encyclical, Humanae Vitae (“Human life”), in which Paul explained his reason. Paul said that if artificial contraception became socially acceptable, as was the recommendation, the following would happen in the ensuing decades:
- A general lowering of moral standards
- An increase in marital infidelity
- Husbands increasingly viewing their wives as objects for their own desires
- Contraception would become a dangerous tool in the hands of governments who cared little about the moral law
It almost goes without saying...Paul VI was a prophet. Read the entire document in full here.
"Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner's own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself."
Fun Fact...
With visits to the Holy Land, the United States, Portugal (for Our Lady of Fatima’s 50th anniversary), and Turkey under his belt, not to mention sojourns to Africa and Australia, Pope Paul VI was the first pope in history to visit five continents in the course of his papacy.
Coming tomorrow....Venerable Pope John Paul I