Supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Longtime papal under-secretary of State. Archbishop of Milan.
 
TLS - Typewritten Letter Signed: two pages, December 1945, as under-secretary of state. Written to Prince Domenico Orsini, Rome.  Reads:  29 December 1945 Noble Lord Prince D. Virginio Orsini, Rome Most Noble Sir: I understand very well the concern of Your Excellency following the grave mourning for the death of your sister Donna Ildegarda Orsina, but I can assure you that this Office has omitted nothing to correspond as best as possible to your just wishes. Following Your Excellency's request dated October 9th, I hastened to ask His Excellency, the Apostolic Delegate of Washington, on the 24th of the same month to communicate the painful news to Prince Orsini "with due caution.” On the same date I also wrote to the Most Eminent Archbishop of Vienna asking him to deign to report on the circumstances surrounding the death of the Princess and to give information on the place where the body was laid to rest. Unfortunately, I have not received the expected responses on this matter, but, given the not excessive distance between the dispatches sent and the difficulty even for the Holy See of the current communications, it is probable that on December 4th your Most Excellence Father had not received the painful communication and that Cardinal Innitzer did not have the necessary time to make the appropriate investigations. I can now assure you that the request for sacred furnishings, made by the Rev. of Scorpio Belisario, has been duly reported to the competent office. I gladly take this opportunity to confirm my sincere respects.
 
Succeeding John XXIII, Paul VI continued the Second Vatican Council, which he closed in 1965, implementing its numerous reforms. He fostered improved ecumenical relations with Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches, which resulted in many historic meetings and agreements. In January 1964, he flew to Jordan, the first time a reigning pontiff had left Italy in more than a century.