Apostolicam Actuositatem

Second Vatican Ecumenical Council
*Concilium Oecumenicum Vaticanum Secundum* (Latin)
Second Vatican Ecumenical Council; Concilium Oecumenicum Vaticanum Secundum (Latin)
	Saint Peter's Basilica; Venue of the Second Vatican Council
Date	11 October 1962 – 8 December 1965
Accepted by	Catholic Church
Previous council	First Vatican Council
Convoked by	Pope John XXIII
President	Pope John XXIII; Pope Paul VI
Attendance	up to 2,625
Topics	The Church in itself, its sole salvific role as the one, true and complete Christian faith, also in relation to ecumenism among other religions, in relation to the modern world, renewal of consecrated life, liturgical disciplines, etc.
Documents and statements	Four Constitutions: Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy); Lumen gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church); Dei verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation); Gaudium et spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World); Three Declarations: Gravissimum educationis (Declaration on Christian Education); Nostra aetate (Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions); Dignitatis humanae (Declaration on Religious Freedom); Nine Decrees: Inter mirifica (Decree on the Media of Social Communication); Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite); Unitatis redintegratio (Decree on Ecumenism); Christus Dominus (Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church); Perfectae caritatis (Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life); Optatam totius (Decree on Priestly Training); Apostolicam Actuositatem (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity); Ad gentes (Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church); Presbyterorum ordinis (Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests);
	Chronological list of ecumenical councils

Apostolicam Actuositatem (Apostolic Activity), also known as the "Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity", is one of the 16 magisterial documents of the Second Vatican Council.

The final text was approved on 10 November, 1965 by a vote of 2,201 to 2. On 18 November, 1965, it was promulgated by Pope Paul VI, after another vote, this time of 2,340 to 2.

The purpose of the document was to encourage and guide lay Catholics in their Christian service. In this decree the Council sought to describe the nature, character, and diversity of the lay apostolate, to state its basic principles, and to give pastoral directives for its more effective exercise. The specific objectives of lay ministry are: evangelization and sanctification, renewal of the temporal order whereby Christ is first in all things, and charitable works and social aid. The decree quotes Colossians 3:17: "Whatever you do in word or work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him".

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