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20th Century:
Vatican II, Pope John Paul II and the New Evangelization
Four historical high points define this century.
Pope Pius X (1903 to 1914)
Pope Pius X guided the Church into the 20th century. In 1906, he released a decree promoting and encouraging all Catholics to receive Holy Communion daily. Following the decree, he was given the title the "Eucharistic Pope."
During his pontificate, Pius fought against two forces, modernism and the French Government, who were bent on trying to weaken the Church. Modernism attempted to alter certain doctrines of the Church in order to bring them into line with "contemporary men and women." The French Government, on the other hand, passed certain laws that cut off revenue to the Catholic Church and made it difficult for priests to minister to the faithful.
Pius XII (1939 to 1958)
Prior to the outbreak of World War II, the Cardinals of the Church elected Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli to the chair of St. Peter. Cardinal Pacelli took the name, Pope Pius XII. Pius used his diplomatic skills and position as Pope to guide the Church through World War II. He hid people and assisted those most in need, including Jews, from Nazi aggression. During the War, he released two encyclicals. In 1950 he declared the "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" to be a doctrine of the faith.
Vatican II
In 1962, under the pontificate of John XXIII, the Church opened its twenty-first Ecumenical Council - Vatican II. For the next three years, Cardinals, Bishops and theologians from all over the globe met to discuss the Church's role in the modern world. The Council produced sixteen documents to guide, unite, renew and modernize the Bride of Christ.
Shortly after the Council ended, the Church went through a period of uncertainty and turmoil. There were many defections from the priesthood and religious life as well as faulty interpretations of the Council documents. All of this cast a shadow of confusion over the laity.
John Paul II (1978 to 2005)
In 1978, the College of Cardinals broke with tradition and elected the first non-Italian Pope in 456 years. Cardinal Karol Wojtyla from Cracow, Poland was elected Pope and took the name Pope John Paul II.
John Paul II was a philosopher and theologian. He participated in Vatican II, contributing especially to the documents: The Declaration on Religious Freedom and The Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.
The pontificate of John Paul II was one of service and evangelization. He not only called the Church to a new evangelization, but also encouraged the laity to live holy lives. His witness and teachings helped many Catholics come out of the confusion that occurred after Vatican II.
John Paul II wrote numerous letters and encyclicals, published the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the new Code of Canon Law and traveled to over 100 countries preaching the Gospel.