A little background

Why this document matters

When the bishops of the world gathered for Vatican II, they recognised something unmistakable:

the Holy Spirit was awakening the laity.

Women and men everywhere were already evangelising, serving, renewing society, and carrying Christ into places where priests and religious could not go. The Council wanted to affirm this movement, clarify it, and bless it.

Apostolicam Actuositatem (1965) became the Church’s first magisterial document dedicated entirely to the lay apostolate — the mission of ordinary Christians in the world.

It was written because the Church saw that the world was changing rapidly, and that the laity — in our case we are thinking especially of women — were standing at the heart of that change. Their witness, their presence, their courage, and their holiness were essential for the Gospel to reach every corner of society.