John W. O’Malley, SJ, avslutter sin bok: What Happened at Vatican II? med følgende begeistrede beskrivelse av konsilets avslutning i 1965:
The next day, December 7, the solemnities moved into high gear at another Public Session, with the pope present in the basilica, filled to overflowing with dignitaries and others who were fortunate enough to get a ticket allowing them entrance. After a few preliminaries and the final voting on the four documents still requiring promulgation, one of the most moving and dramatic moments of the whole council took place. Bishop Willebrands went to the pulpit and read in French the «Joint Declaration’ of Paul VI and Patriarch Athanagoras regretting the excommunications of the Greeks by the Latins and the Latins by the Greeks in 1054, acknowledging the responsibility of both sides for the tragedy, and promising to work toward a full communion between the two churches. This was the fruit of the meeting of the two leaders in the Holy Land two years earlier. At the same time a similar reading took place in the patriarcM basilica in Istanbul. After Willebrands read the text, he exchanged an embrace of peace with Meliton, the Orthodox Metropolitan of Heliopolis, which elicited enthusiastic applause in the basilica.
Mass then began, during which Paul VI gave a long address, officially a «homily,» in elegant and difficult Latin. In it he concentrated on «the religious significance of the council» and what it meant for the church and the world. He emphasized, to a somewhat surprising degree, the aberrations and sinfulness of the times. For this situation the church, remaining true to her «Patrimony of doctrine and precepts, was the remedy. Like the Good Shepherd, he said, the council adopted a loving attitude toward the world. Perhaps most striking in the talk was the unidirectional relationship that the pope depicted between church and world, bypassing the reciprocity that was notable in Gaudium et Spes. …
Beginning at 9 the next morning, December 8, a crowd estimated at 300,000 gathered in St. Peter’s Square and along the via della Conciliazione for the final ceremony, which was also transmitted worldwide on television. Shortly after 10, with all the church bells in the city of Rome ringing, the council fathers began their long procession out of the «bronze doorway» of the papal palace to assume their places in the piazza. Paul VI followed, carried on the sedia gestatoria. Upon arrival at the altar in the square, he immediately began the Mass. After the singing of the gospel of the day, the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, he delivered a relatively brief homily in Italian, which was mostly a greeting and word of friendship to those present in the square, by now filled to overflowing, to those who followed the ceremonylon radio or television, and finally to all humanity. He said he could address all humanity because for the church 11 no one is a stranger, no one is excluded, no one is distant.» He singled out for special greeting the bishops whose governments would not allow them to come to the council, particularly those held in prison. Toward the end he turned to the topic of Mary, praising her as model and inspiration. …
The entire ceremony closed with Archbishop Felici’S reading of the pope’s Apostolic Letter, In Spiritu Sancto, declaring the council concluded and enjoining that «everything the council decreed be religiously and devoutly observed by all the faithful. » Paul VI then imparted the final blessing and dismissal, «In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, go in peace.» To which the vast crowd responded, «Thanks be to God!» – Deo gratias! and then broke into applause and cheers.