The Pope is the highest position in the Catholic world, it is the visible head of the church, the theological and canonical symbol of faith. Given the high sacred status of the pontiff and at the same time the head of the sovereign state of the Vatican, everyone who wore this high title can be called truly outstanding personalities. But even among the church patriarchs there were especially outstanding people whom history would forever remember.
These can definitely be attributed to Pope John XXIII. His election to the throne was crucial, historians still share the history of the Catholic Church for the period before the Second Vatican Council, convened by John XXIII, and the period after.
The wise and measured policy of the patriarch contributed to the revival of human faith in the Higher powers, in goodness and justice. It was this true faith that was almost buried under endless religious dogmas, dead laws of righteousness and obsolete doctrines.
Biography of the saint before being elected to the papal throne
Pope John XXIII, in the world of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, comes from a poor, large peasant family. He was born in northern Italy in the picturesque province of Bergamo in 1881.
Already in the first years of study in a provincial elementary school, the young peasant was preparing to enter the seminary. With the help of a local priest, the boy learned Latin. He successfully graduated from the Bergamo Seminary in 1900, and four years later the faculty of theology of the Pontifical Seminary in Rome. In 1904, he became priest and became secretary of Bishop D.M. Radini Tedeschi. He also taught the history of religion in the same seminary in Bergamo.
During the First World War, he served in the army as a nurse in a hospital, and then as a military chaplain. In 1921, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was a member of the Holy Congregation of Faith.
Pope John XXIII: diplomatic career, nunciature, peacekeeping
Roncalli's successes as papal ambassador (nuncio) also deserve special attention. The high tolerance, intelligence and education of the diplomat helped him successfully communicate with representatives of different faiths, religious beliefs and traditions. He argued that people should be spoken not in the language of dogma, good advice and taboos, but in the language of mutual respect, to listen to different opinions, to allow the existence of several truths in the name of good and peace.
During the bishopric from 1925 to 1953 he was a nuncio in Sofia, Ankara, Athens, Paris. His diplomatic activity began in difficult years, which were accompanied by military operations, coups, changes of power, etc. He helped to peacefully resolve conflicts of different levels - from inter-religious marriages to political intrigues.
And in 1953, Roncalli was elected Patriarch of Venice, Cardinal.
John XXIII: The Beginning of the Ministry
The election of the pope in 1958 was not easy and was accompanied by the administrative crisis of the Roman Curia. The struggle for the highest patriarchal position was fought mainly between two camps: cardinal conservatives and "progressives". Each had their own candidate, but not a sufficient number of votes were cast.
In the end, on the 11th round, the conclave was elected Papa Roncalli, a "dark horse" among the cardinals of the applicants. He became the oldest pope at the time of the election (he was 77 years old.) Roncalli chose the papal name John XXIII. This name, once popular among popes, was a kind of “damned”. Until that 550 years, none of the pontiffs chose the church name John, since the odious Balthazar Cossa John XXIII - the antipope - called himself that way. But Roncalli emphasized that he chooses this name in honor of St. John the Baptist and the Apostle John the Theologian and in memory of his father. He maintained close contact with his parents, brothers and sisters at all stages of his church career. The patriarch also noted that John XXIII (the antipope) was not a legitimate pope, as he “ruled” during the Great Western schism, was an immoral sinner and had no right to bear this holy name.
The election of Pope John XXIII was a kind of forced step when not one of the main contenders could get enough votes among the cardinals. John XXIII Baden was the "transitional pope", who was to rule until the Catholic Church decided on the ideological course (conservative or progressive). Probably, a certain role in the decision of the cardinals was played by the fact that the reign of John could not last long, because he was already 77 years old. But in fact, this “passing pope” has become a cult person in the Christian world, the most initiative figure of his time. In a short period of his pontificate, he was able to introduce many crucial changes.
Pope's Church Initiatives
As a military doctor, then a nuncio, John XXIII saw, felt and experienced many conflicting truths, met with threatening social problems, talked to people of different faiths, saw many deaths, conflicts, and destruction. He, as a man, understood how much humanity was going through during the difficult war and post-war devastating years: poverty, illness, poverty. And I knew that empathy, charity, the glorification of understandable truths, such as goodness, justice and belief in the best - this is what people expect from the church, and not the next canons, dogmas, worship before the patriarchs.
Dad was a very charismatic individual, he walked the Vatican without retinue, he did not use his position to promote relatives or friends in political or church circles. He did not refuse to meet with the craftsmen or workers and skip a glass right on the street. But despite such eccentricity, he was faithful to the laws of God.
He understood that the truths, commandments of God can be conveyed to people only by communicating with Christians in their language, listening to the sober opinions of others, respecting brothers in faith.
He canceled kneeling, the traditional kissing of the ring, ordered to remove from the vocabulary ornate words such as "deep lips" and "reverend steps."
Dad opened the church to the world. If in all centuries and even in the first half of the twentieth century, Catholicism was associated with authoritarianism, then after his reign the situation moved from a dead point. The church continued to play the key political, ideological function, but the authority of the clergy ceased to be indestructible.
In addition to close interfaith dialogue, John XXIII - the pope of the world - initiated a new political course addressed to representatives of all non-Christian religions. He proclaimed the principles of respect for their spiritual values, cultural customs, traditions, social foundations.
The first visit was made to Jerusalem, an apology was made to the Jews for many years of persecution, cruelty, anti-Semitism. The new papal government recognized that the Jewish accusations of the death of Jesus Christ are unfounded, and the new Catholic leadership does not join them.
Pope John XXIII announced that all people should be united by peace, goodness, faith in the best, mutual respect, the desire to save human lives, and not fidelity to the canons. He was perhaps the first of all the chapters of the Vatican who admitted that it is not so important in what language the church service is conducted, parishioners stand or sit. Padre so timely and honestly drew attention to the fact that the church, instead of reconciling people, making them kinder and more harmonious, disorientes and splits them even more, emphasizing the need to follow an accurate list of church traditions that differ in each denomination: to be baptized correctly, bow properly and behave in the cathedral.
He said: "The obsolete musty air reigns supreme in the cathedral of church traditions, you need to open the windows wider."
Second Vatican Cathedral
Pope John XXIII completely brought down the hopes of the cardinals and the curia for his unpretentious neutral rule, already 90 days after the occupation of the papal throne, the pontiff expressed his intention to convene the Ecumenical Council. It was hard to call the reaction of the cardinals approving. They said that until 1963 it would be very difficult to prepare and convene the Council, to which the pope replied: excellent, we will prepare then until 1962.
Even before the start of the cathedral, Giovanni found out that he was ill with cancer, but he refused a risky operation because he wanted to live to see the day when at the opening of the cathedral he would turn to honest people with a request for peace, kindness and empathy.
The task of the cathedral was to adapt the church to the modern world, make friends, establish dialogue, and possibly reunite with the separated Christians. Representatives of Orthodox communities from Greece, Russia, Poland, and Jerusalem were invited to the Cathedral.
The Second Vatican, which ended after the death of Pope John XXIII, was the adoption of a new pastoral constitution, "Joy and Hope," which examined new views on religious education, freedom of belief, and on attitudes towards non-Christian churches.
Results and performance evaluations
The true good results of the activities of the great pontiff were able to appreciate only his followers a few years later. But everyone who is going to summarize some of his reign will certainly have a wonderful mixture of feelings: something on the verge of delight and surprise. After all, the results of the pope's activity are simply amazing.
You could even say that he continued to influence the Catholic world for many years after his death. Upon learning of his incurable disease, Pope John XXIII covertly prepared his follower Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini, who became the new Pope after John, completed the Second Council and continued the great good deeds of his teacher.
Famous European political scientists, including S. Huntington, also emphasized the role of the church in the development of society in the twentieth century. Especially on what function Pope John XXIII played in this process, the results of this great pontiff also found reflection in the development of democracy around the world.
In his short “career” on the Catholic throne, the pope issued 8 special papal documents (encyclical). In them, he expressed a new view of the Catholic Church on the role of the shepherd in modern society, on motherhood, peace, progress. On November 11, 1961, he issued the encyclical Eternal Divine Wisdom, where he expressed his positive view of ecumenism to us - the ideology of Christian unity. He turned to the Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians "brothers."
The attitude of Pope Giovanni XXIII to socialism
Even John XXIII was called the "Pope of the World" or the "Red Pope" because of his tolerant attitude towards the countries of the socialist camp and his desire to introduce some kind of "religious socialism". He emphasized that the benefit of all peoples should be based on the rights, wills and obligations of each person, but be regulated by moral and church norms. The shepherd pointed out that the principles of mutual assistance and humanism should lie in the basis for solving the problems of society. He also advocated freedom of choice of professions, equal opportunities for self-realization for representatives of all countries.
It should be noted that materialistic, and then communist views have always been dismissed by the Catholic Church as heretical. Pope John XXIII showed unprecedented wisdom by maintaining diplomatic relations with Cuba, the Soviet Union, as the legitimate ruler of the Vatican City. At the same time, he emphasized that in no case does he accept atheistic views and remains only a true Catholic and a "servant of God." But at the same time respects the national views of all the inhabitants of the world. And focuses on the role of mutual respect and tolerance in preventing conflict and warrior.
In his celebratory speeches, John XXIII called the world the greatest and most precious blessing on earth. During his reign, the Vatican ceased to be a totalitarian, cemented, faithful to dead traditions organization, and turned into an authoritative church institution, saturated with the spirit of superneutrality.
On April 11, 1963, the pontiff published the encyclical Peace on Earth, where he paid special attention to social issues, called for the need for dialogue between socialists and capitalists, and emphasized that there are no ideological contradictions that cannot be resolved if one acts in the name of peace and justice.
Opponents of the policy of Pontiff John XXIII
It was assumed that opponents John XXIII of Baden could not make money, because when he was elected, the papal chancellery soberly assessed his age and state of health. Add to this his political neutrality and general tolerance. He was perceived as such an elderly rural padre with a poor family, an eccentric old man, a picky good-natured man. But, the cardinals on the conclave greatly underestimated the firmness of his faith and his enthusiasm for doing good deeds.
The initiatives, encyclicals of the pope were favorably received by the churches of the Catholic countries of the "third world", but the Roman and Vatican cardinals accepted many reforms, to put it mildly, unfavorably.
More through the fact that the church institute has always been "tightly reformed." And besides, Pope John XXIII initiated the abolition of many church honors and, as it were, “lowered” the authority of Catholic clergy. Most of the protests were expressed by the ministers of the Vatican, the holy office.
Death of the pope, canonization, reckoning
On June 3, 1963, Pope John XXIII passed away. The body of the pontiff was immediately embalmed at the Catholic University of the Heart of Jesus Gennaro Goli and buried in the grottoes of St. Peter's Basilica.
Today, the remains of the padre are kept in a crystal tomb in the basilica of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. In 2000, Pope John Paul II ranked his glorious predecessor as blessed, and in 2014 they were both saints. The Catholic Church honors the memory of Pope Giovanni XXIII, a holiday in his honor on October 11.
A film about Pope John XXIII
To properly thank the legendary Pope Giovanni XXIII for his contribution to the development of faith, peace and goodness, everyone can, if he hears his advice, take several steps to self-development and humanity. But of the large-scale ways to thank the pontiff for his services, the film "John XXIII. Pope of the World" can be called. The 2002 film tells the story of Giuseppe Roncalli, including his childhood in Bergamo, his studies, church career, and activities on the papal throne. This beautiful atmospheric Italian film directed by Giorgio Capitani talentedly reflects the pope’s temperament, his loyalty to the ideals of youth, personal freedom, mutual assistance, tolerance and tolerance.