It had the responsibility of assisting the Pope in his dealings with the laity in lay ecclesial movements or individually, and their contributions to the Church.
The Pontifical Council for the Laity had its foundation in Vatican II's Apostolicam Actuositatem.
The council was created in January 1967 by Pope Paul VI's motu proprio Catholicam Christi Ecclesiam.
In December 1976, the council was included as a permanent fixture of the Roman Curia.
[1] In September 2016, its functions were shifted to the new Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.