1 Pope Paul VI CHRISTIAN VALUES AND VIRTUES Pope Paul VI Edited by Karl A. Schultz A Crossroad Book The Crossroad Publishing Company New York 2 CONTENTS 1. The Life and Legacy of Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini) 2. A Personal Word about Pope Paul VI 3. A Short Course on Lectio Divina 4. The Art of Dialogue 5. Peace 6. Faith 7. Hope 8. Love 9. Chastity 10. Human Development 11. Suffering 12. Humility 13. Joy 14. Evangelization Suggested Resources Acknowledgments (TK) About the Editor A Word from the Publisher (TK) 3 The Life and Legacy of Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini) Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini was born on September 26, 1897 into a prominent and devout Catholic family. He was a precocious youth who exhibited many of the qualities that would characterize his adult life: a remarkable memory, an elusive reserve often mistaken as coldness, a natural and developed ability as a writer and word smith --- "he spoke with the dictionary," a devoted student, an admirer of culture and literature, and a lack of enthusiasm for superficial pursuits. He was sickly for much of his youth, and there was concern that his ill health would interfere with his priestly ministry. His father, Giorgio, was a prominent Italian lawyer, publisher, and activist. His mother, Giuditta, was extensively involved in Catholic social work and activism. His elder brother was an attorney and politician, his younger brother a doctor. He grew up in a staunchly Catholic province in Italy called Brescia. Giovanni Montini was ordained a priest on May 19, 1920. His pre-diplomatic priestly service left him with a great understanding and affection for workers, youth, and the poor. In tandem with Monsignor Domenico Tardini he operated as Pope Pius XII's Secretary of State from 1939 through 1954, when he became Archbishop of Milan. He was made a cardinal by Pope John XXIII in 1958, and became pope on June 21, 1963. Pau’s Papacy Pope Paul guided the Roman Catholic Church through a tumultuous time in its history. His predecessor, John XXIII, had called an ecumenical council (Vatican Council II, 1962-1965) for the purpose of modernizing and redefining the Church, but died in the middle of it. Paul helped set the stage for Vatican Council II with his October 18, 1962 letter to Amleto Cicognani, Secretary of State to Pope John XXIII, and was elected as a candidate who was thought capable of keeping the Council from spinning out of control while reconciling conservative and progressive forces within the Church. Paul guided the Council to its completion and made numerous though largely unpublicized contributions. Paul mostly succeeded in implementing the Council. Although many priests, religious, and lay persons left the Church in the wake of the shock, disillusion, miscommunication, and aberrations that accompanied the post-conciliar transition, no major schisms occurred, and the Church regained touch with the modern world. Paul’s ability to preserve the Church's integrity, tradition, and unity amid tumultuous change and conflict is testimony to his skills as a diplomat and administrator. One of the most impressive pastoral dimensions of Paul’s papacy was his compassion for Catholics who were unable to live up to their vows as a priest, nun, or married person. Paul decentralized the annulment process by granting authority to local marriage tribunals, and simplified the process for laicizing priests and nuns. He implemented these pastoral policies while affirming the ideals and responsibilities underlying these vocational commitments and encouraging individuals to fulfill them. As Peter Hebblethwaite points out in Paul VI (Paulist Press, 1993, p. 441), "Some said that if Pope John's key word was aggiornamento (updating), Paul's motto was avvicinamento, coming closer to people. He had found a new way to address all people of good will." Little Known Facts About Paul VI 4 He studied for the priesthood from home, became Archbishop without ever serving as a parish priest, and though not yet a Cardinal was seriously considered for the papacy in 1958. He was known as the Pilgrim Pope because of his extensive travels. He broke with the Papal precedent of staying inside Italy and traveled to Africa, India, the Holy Land, Australia, South America, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and America. He was the first reigning pope to visit America. Paul’s firm but non-confrontational policy of dialogue and negotiation with the iron curtain countries --- seeking religious freedom concessions whenever possible --- referred to as Ostpolitik or East politics, created a foundation from which Pope John Paul II would help bring down Communism in Eastern Europe. Always sensitive to cultural considerations, in 1966 Paul released Catholics from the obligation of refraining from meat on Fridays (except in Lent) providing that they substitute an appropriate means of fasting and asceticism in recollection of the Lord’s death on Good Friday. Sadly, few paid attention beyond his retraction of the meat prohibition. Paul helped reduce hostilities during the Viet Nam War by bringing the parties to the negotiating table for the Paris Peace Talks in 1968.1 In 1970, Paul survived an assassination attempt at the Manila airport by Benjamin Mendoza y Amor, a deranged Bolivian known locally as “the mad painter”. Mendoza attacked Paul with a foot long double-edged knife, but was thwarted by Paul’s secretary, Don Pasquale Macchi and Bishop Galvin of Singapore. Like John Paul II, Paul VI immediately forgave his attacker.2 Sadly, Monsignor Macchi, who was with Paul at his deathbed and was executor of his estate, passed away on April 5, 2006. Monsignor Macchi was gracious enough to send me a letter of support and an offer of assistance along with a copy of a book on Paul VI that he published in Italian in 2001. Paul's Times Pope Paul VI helped shape his and our era. Recall what was going on in the world at the time of his pontificate (1963-78): 1)The assassinations of President Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. 2) The expansion of the women's and civil rights movements with the goal of equal rights. 3) The Viet Nam conflict. 4) Watergate. 5) The energy crisis. 6) Several middle eastern wars and continuous unrest. 7) The heightening of the arms race and oppressive policies of the Soviet Union. 8) China’s increased engagement in diplomatic and trade relations with the west. 9) The murder of the Israeli hostages at the 1972 Olympics. 10) The rise of the youth culture highlighted in the media by the soaring popularity of the Beatles that coincided approximately with the death of President Kennedy. 1 Ibid, pp. 505-513. 2 Ibid, pp. 568-569. 5 Paul’s Signature Contributions John Paul II deservedly receives much credit for his innovative teachings in the area of sexuality and married life. His “theology of the body” continues to be the subject of much reflection, application, and study at all levels of the Church. Paul VI has three such trademark contributions, in the areas of communications, evangelization, and human development and spirituality. His teachings span the beginning and end of his pontificate, and are a significant part of his papal charter and legacy. Paul’s first encyclical, Ecclesiam Suam (“Paths of the Church”, August 6, 1964), is a treatise on the art of dialogue and communications. It deals with both internal and external relations --- within the Church and with the world, the sacred and the secular realms. His final pastoral letter, the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (“On Evangelization in the Modern World”, December 8, 1975), places dialogue in the context of the primary mission of the Church, that of spreading the good news, and links conversion to evangelization. Communication and conversion must go together in order to avoid ego blockages; selfishness is the enemy of solidarity. Paul’s watershed encyclical Populorum Progressio (“On the Development of Peoples”, March 26, 1967) not only changed the face and direction of Catholic social teaching, but made a significant contribution to global socio-economic policy considerations. Economists, social activists, and politicians took note of Paul’s masterpiece because it was original and articulated in a comprehensible and non-partisan manner. In 1965, Paul also composed a beautiful reflection on life and its possibilities as part of his last will and testament. This essay is found in the Human Development chapter. Paul built upon Populorum Progressio with Octogesima Adveniens (“A Call to Action”, May 14, 1971), an Apostolic Letter that developed the insights of Populorum Progressio while recognizing the diversity of cultural situations and the importance of local adaptations. Paul’s second to last Apostolic Exhortation, Gaudete in Domini (“On Christian Joy”, May 9, 1975), focused on the spirituality necessary for human fulfillment and development, and his last major public address, a prayer offered at the funeral of Paul’s old friend, Aldo Moro (the former Italian prime minister and then leader of the Christian Democratic Party who was abducted and assassinated by the terrorist group The Red Brigades) bewailed the mystery of suffering, which paradoxically constitutes both the greatest obstacle and impetus to faith, fulfillment, and development. Paul’s exhortations, insights, and compassion can help it be the latter for us. Paul was actively involved in the attempted negotiations to free Aldo Moro from his kidnappers, and even offered to exchange himself for the hostage. His prayer at the funeral mass for Aldo Moro constitutes a modern psalm, an affirmation of faith and hope amid an outcry of grief and disappointment. Paul’s lament consoled and united, if only temporarily, the grief- stricken and divided nation of Italy, just as he had united the Church amid a divisive period.