Editing Pope Paul VI (section)

===Completion of the Vatican Council===
{{Main|Second Vatican Council}}
[[File:CardinalBea.jpg|thumb|150px|Pope Paul VI fully supported Cardinal [[Augustin Bea]], credited with ecumenical breakthroughs during the Second Vatican Council.]]
Paul VI decided to reconvene [[Second Vatican Council|Vatican II]] and completed it in 1965. Faced with conflicting interpretations and controversies, he directed the implementation of its reform goals.

====Ecumenical orientation====
{{Main |Pope Paul VI and Ecumenism}}
During Vatican II, the council fathers avoided statements that might anger non-Catholic Christians.{{Sfn|Hebblethwaite|1993}}{{Page needed|date=January 2014}} Cardinal [[Augustin Bea]], the President of the [[Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity|Christian Unity Secretariat]], always had the full support of Paul VI in his attempts to ensure that the Council language was friendly and open to the sensitivities of Protestant and Orthodox churches, whom he had invited to all sessions at the request of [[Pope John XXIII]]. Bea also was strongly involved in the passage of ''[[Nostra aetate]]'', which regulates the Church's relations with [[Judaism]] and members of other religions.{{Efn|28 October 1965.}}

====Dialogue with the world====
After being elected Bishop of Rome, Paul VI first met with the priests in his new diocese. He told them that he started a dialogue with the modern world in Milan and asked them to seek contact with people from all walks of life. Six days after his election, he announced that he would continue Vatican II and convened the opening on 29 September 1963.<ref name="Franzen 420"/> In a radio address to the world, Paul VI praised his predecessors, the strength of [[Pius XI]], the wisdom and intelligence of [[Pius XII]], and the love of [[Pope John XXIII|John XXIII]]. As his pontifical goals, he mentioned the continuation and completion of Vatican II, the [[Canon Law]] reform, and improved social peace and justice worldwide. The unity of Christianity would be central to his activities.<ref name="Franzen 420" />

====Council priorities====
The Pope re-opened the Ecumenical Council on 29 September 1963, giving it four key priorities:
* A better understanding of the Catholic Church
* Church reforms
* Advancing the unity of Christianity
* Dialogue with the world<ref name="Franzen 420" />

[[File:MontiniKennedy.jpg|255px|thumb|Pope Paul VI meets with the <!-- READ THE WHOLE SENTENCE. DO NOT CHANGE CAPTION-->first<!-- READ THE WHOLE SENTENCE. DO NOT CHANGE CAPTION--> Catholic U.S. president, [[John F. Kennedy]], 2 July 1963.]]
He reminded the Council Fathers that only a few years earlier, Pope Pius XII had issued the encyclical ''[[Mystici corporis]]'' about the [[Body of Christ|mystical body of Christ]]. He asked them not to repeat or create new dogmatic definitions but to simply explain how the Church sees itself. He thanked the representatives of other Christian communities for their attendance and asked for their forgiveness if the Catholic Church was at fault for their separation. He also reminded the Council Fathers that many bishops from the East had been forbidden to attend by their national governments.{{Sfn |Franzen|1988|pp=421–22}}

[[File:Konzilseroeffnung 1.jpg|255px|thumb|right|The opening of the second session of Vatican II]]

====Third and fourth sessions====
Paul VI opened the third period on 14 September 1964, telling the Council Fathers that he viewed the text about the Church as the most important document to come out from the council. As the Council discussed the role of bishops in the papacy, Paul VI issued an [[Nota Praevia|explanatory note]] confirming the primacy of the papacy, a step that was viewed by some as meddling in the council's affairs.{{Sfn|Franzen|1988|p=423}} American bishops pushed for a speedy resolution on religious freedom, but Paul VI insisted this be approved together with related texts on topics such as [[ecumenism]].<ref name="Franzen 424">{{harvnb|Franzen|1988|p=424}}</ref> The Pope concluded the session on 21 November 1964 with the formal pronouncement of Mary as [[Mother of the Church]].<ref name="Franzen 424"/>

Between the third and fourth sessions, the Pope announced reforms in the areas of [[Roman Curia]], revision of [[Canon law]], regulations for [[interfaith marriage]]s, and [[birth control]] issues. He opened the council's final session, concelebrating with bishops from countries where the Church was persecuted. Several texts proposed for his approval had to be changed, but all were finally agreed upon. The council was concluded on 8 December 1965: the [[Feast of the Immaculate Conception]].<ref name="Franzen 424"/>

In the council's final session, Paul VI announced that he would open the canonisation processes of his immediate predecessors: Pope Pius XII and Pope John XXIII.

====Universal call to holiness====
According to Paul VI, "the most characteristic and ultimate purpose of the teachings of the Council" is the [[universal call to holiness]]:<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19690319_sanctitas-clarior_it.html Motu Proprio Sanctitas Clarior] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302231450/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19690319_sanctitas-clarior_it.html |date=2 March 2013 }}</ref> "all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity; by this holiness as such a more human manner of living is promoted in this earthly society." This teaching is found in ''[[Lumen Gentium]]'', the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, promulgated by Paul VI on 21 November 1964.