On Dec. 8, 1962, Pope John XXIII imparts his blessing upon all present at the closing ceremony of the Second Vatican Council’s first phase. Just two months earlier, on Oct. 4, the Holy Father visited Assisi to pray for the Council, whose solemn opening took place one week later.
COMMENTARY: The Holy Father’s pilgrimage to Loreto and Assisi offers an important insight into the significance of the Council he initiated.