SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS OF THE CONGRESS

I. Declaration

1 The delegates from all continents, assembled in Rome at the Second World Congress of the Lay Apostolate, express their deep gratitude to His Holiness Popes Pius XII for the words he graciously addressed to them during the audience of October 6, and for his observations concerning the nature, structure and practice of the lay apostolate.

2 They were particularly moved by the confidence the Holy Father showed by proposing problems of the greatest importance for their reflexion and examination, and by appealing to their sense of initiative and responsibility.

3 They will endeavor to respond to the wishes of His Holiness Pope Pius XII by an ever more concerted effort toward a more effective apostolate, an effort which will take into account the diversity of objectives and the variety of forms to be found among national and international organizations.

4 The organizations represented at the congress declare their joyful and filial readiness to works in this spirit, so that the laity may accomplish their apostolic mission under the guidance of the Hierarchy and in fraternal charity and true cooperation. Their action will take on in this way an ever wider scope, corresponding to the two-fold task of "preserving" and of "conquering" which confronts the Church in the world today.