On Human Life: Humanae Vitae

Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini) led the Catholic Church from 1963 until his death in 1978. The former Cardinal Archbishop of Milan, Italy, he succeed Pope John XXIII and oversaw the Second Vatican Council, bringing it to completion in 1965. Many commentators described Paul VI as the first modern pope because of his extensive global travels and wide use of electronic media. In many respects, he laid the foundation for how subsequent popes would exercise the papal office in the modern world. On Human Life: Humanae Vitae is his final and best-known encyclical letter. In October, 2014, Pope Francis declared Paul VI "blessed," the first step toward his being recognized as a saint throughout the Catholic Church.