Pope John XXIII[a] (bornAngelo Giuseppe Roncalli;[b] 25 November 1881 – 3 June 1963) was head of theCatholic Church and sovereign of theVatican City from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take thepontifical name "John".
Roncalli was among 13 children born to Marianna Mazzola and Giovanni Battista Roncalli in a family ofsharecroppers who lived inSotto il Monte, a village in theprovince of Bergamo,Lombardy.[8] He was ordained to thepriesthood on 10 August 1904 and served in a number of posts, asnuncio inFrance and a delegate toBulgaria,Greece andTurkey. In aconsistory on 12 January 1953Pope Pius XII made Roncalli a cardinal as the Cardinal-priest ofSanta Prisca in addition to naming him as thePatriarch of Venice. Roncalli was unexpectedly electedpope on 28 October 1958 at age 76 afterPope Pius XII's death. Pope John XXIII surprised those who expected him to be a caretaker pope by calling the historicSecond Vatican Council (1962–1965), the first session opening on 11 October 1962, which is now hisfeast.
John XXIII made many passionate speeches during his pontificate. His views on equality were summed up in his statement, "We were all made in God's image, and thus, we are all Godly alike."[9][10] He made a major impact on the Catholic Church, opening it up to the changes of the Second Vatican Council and by his own dealings with other churches and nations. In Italian politics, he prohibited bishops from interfering with local elections, and he helped theChristian Democracy party to cooperate with theItalian Socialist Party. In international affairs, hisOstpolitik engaged in dialogue with the communist countries of Eastern Europe. He especially reached out to theEastern Orthodox churches.
His overall goal was to modernize the Church by emphasizing itspastoral role, and its necessary involvement with affairs of state. He dropped the traditional rule of 70 cardinals, increasing the size to 85. He used the opportunity to name the first cardinals from Africa, Japan, and the Philippines. He promotedecumenical movements in cooperation with other Christian faiths. In doctrinal matters, he was a traditionalist, but he ended the practice of automatically formulating social and political policies on the basis of old theological propositions.[11]
He did not live to see the Second Vatican Council to completion. In September 1962, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died eight months later on 3 June 1963. His cause forcanonization was opened on 18 November 1965 by his successor,Pope Paul VI, who declared him aServant of God. He was beatified byPope John Paul II in 2000. On 5 July 2013,Pope Francis – bypassing the traditionally required second miracle – declared John XXIII a saint, based on his virtuous, model lifestyle, and because of the good which had come from his opening of the Second Vatican Council. He was canonized alongside Pope John Paul II himself on 27 April 2014.[12][13] John XXIII today is affectionately known as "the Good Pope" (Italian:il papa buono).
Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was born on 25 November 1881 inSotto il Monte, a small country village in theBergamo province of theLombardy region ofItaly. He was the eldest son of Giovanni Battista Roncalli (1854–1935) and his wife Marianna Giulia Mazzola (1855–1939), and fourth in a family of thirteen. His siblings were:[14]
Maria Caterina (1877–1883)
Teresa (1879–1954), who married Michele Ghisleni in 1899
Ancilla (1880–1953)
Francesco Saverio (1883–1976), who married Maria Carrara in 1907
Maria Elisa (1884–1955)
Assunta Casilda (1886–1980),[15] who married Giovanni Battista Marchesi in 1907
Domenico Giuseppe (1888–1888)
Alfredo (1889–1972)
Giovanni Francesco (1891–1956), who married Caterina Formenti in 1919
Enrica (1893–1918)
Giuseppe Luigi (1894–1981),[16] who married Ida Biffi in 1922
His family worked assharecroppers, as did most of the people of Sotto il Monte – a striking contrast to that of his predecessor, Eugenio Pacelli (Pope Pius XII), who came from a family established in senior roles in the Papal administration. Roncalli was nonetheless a descendant of an Italian noble family, albeit from a secondary and impoverished branch;[19] "(he) derived from no mean origins but from worthy and respected folk who can be traced right back to the beginning of the fifteenth century." The Roncallis maintained a vineyard and cornfields and kept cattle.[20]
On 1 March 1896, Luigi Isacchi, the spiritual director of his seminary, enrolled him into theSecular Franciscan Order. He professed his vows as a member of that order on 23 May 1897.[22]
In 1905,Giacomo Radini-Tedeschi, the newBishop of Bergamo, appointed Roncalli as his secretary. Roncalli worked for Radini-Tedeschi until the bishop's death on 22 August 1914, two days after the death of Pius X, Radini-Tedeschi's last words to Roncalli were "Angelo, pray for peace". The death of Radini-Tedeschi had a deep effect on Roncalli.[25] During this period Roncalli was also a lecturer in the diocesanseminary inBergamo.
On 30 November 1934, he was appointedApostolic Delegate to Turkey andGreece and titular archbishop ofMesembria, Bulgaria.[33][34] He became known in Turkey's predominantly Muslim society as "theTurcophile Pope".[35] Roncalli took up this post in 1935 and used his office to help the Jewish underground in saving thousands of refugees in Europe, leading some to consider him to be aRighteous Gentile (seePope John XXIII and Judaism). In October 1935, he led Bulgarian pilgrims to Rome and introduced them toPope Pius XI on 14 October.[36]
In February 1939, he received news from his sisters that his mother was dying. On 10 February 1939, Pope Pius XI died. Roncalli was unable to see his mother for the end as the death of a pontiff meant that he would have to stay at his post until the election of a new pontiff: she died on 20 February 1939, during the nine days of mourning for the late Pius XI. He was sent a letter by Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, and Roncalli later recalled that it was probably the last letter Pacelli sent until his election asPope Pius XII on 2 March 1939. Roncalli expressed happiness that Pacelli was elected and, on the radio, listened to thecoronation of the new pontiff.[37]
Roncalli remained in Bulgaria at the time that World War II commenced, optimistically writing in his journal in April 1939, "I don't believe we will have a war." When the war began, he was in Rome, meeting with Pope Pius XII on 5 September 1939. In 1940, Roncalli was asked by the Vatican to devote more of his time to Greece; therefore, he made several visits in January and May of that year.[38] He maintained close relations with the Jews and also intervened to convince Bulgaria's KingBoris III to cancel deportations of Greek Jews during theNazi occupation of Greece.[39]
Italian Jews helped by the Vatican as a result of his interventions.[40]
Orphaned children of Transnistria on board a refugee ship that weighed anchor fromConstanța to Istanbul, and later arriving in Palestine as a result of his interventions.[42]
Jews held at theSereď concentration camp who were spared from being deported to German death camps as a result of his intervention.[42]
Hungarian Jews who saved themselves through their conversions to Christianity through the baptismal certificates sent by Nuncio Roncalli to the Hungarian Nuncio, MonsignorAngelo Rota.[40]
In 1965, theCatholic Herald newspaper quoted Pope John XXIII as saying:
We are conscious today that many, many centuries of blindness have cloaked our eyes so that we can no longer see the beauty of Thy chosen people nor recognise in their faces the features of our privileged brethren. We realize that the mark of Cain stands upon our foreheads. Across the centuries our brother Abel has lain in blood which we drew, or shed tears we caused by forgetting Thy love. Forgive us for the curse we falsely attached to their name as Jews. Forgive us for crucifying Thee a second time in their flesh. For we know not what we did.[44][45]
On 7 September 2000, theInternational Raoul Wallenberg Foundation launched the International Campaign for the Acknowledgement of the humanitarian actions undertaken by Vatican Nuncio Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli for people, most of whom were Jewish, persecuted by the Nazi regime. The launching took place at the Permanent Observation Mission of theVatican to the United Nations, in the presence ofVatican State Secretary CardinalAngelo Sodano.
The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation has carried out exhaustive historical research related to different events connected with interventions of Nuncio Roncalli in favour of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. As of September 2000 three reports have been published compiling different studies and materials of historical research about the humanitarian actions carried out by Roncalli when he was nuncio.[46][47]
In 2011, the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation submitted a massive file (the Roncalli Dossier) toYad Vashem, with a strong petition and recommendation to bestow upon him the title ofRighteous among the Nations.[48]
After 1944, he played an active role in gaining Catholic Church support for the establishment of theState of Israel. His support forZionism,[49] and the establishment of Israel was the result of his cultural and religious openness toward other faiths and cultures, and especially concern with the fate of Jews after the war. He was one of the Vatican's most sympathetic diplomats toward Jewish immigration to Palestine, which he saw as a humanitarian issue, and not a matter of biblical theology.[50]
Roncalli was chosen among several other candidates, one of whom was ArchbishopGiuseppe Fietta. Roncalli met withDomenico Tardini to discuss his new appointment, and their conversation suggested that Tardini did not approve of it. One curial prelate referred to Roncalli as an "old fogey" while speaking with a journalist.[52]
Roncalli left Ankara on 27 December 1944 on a series of short-haul flights that took him to several places, such asBeirut,Cairo and Naples. He ventured to Rome on 28 December and met with both Tardini and his friendGiovanni Battista Montini. He left for France the next day to commence his newest role.[53] In November 1948, he went for his yearly retreat to theEn-Calcat Abbey in Southern France.[54]
Roncalli received a message from Montini on 14 November 1952 asking him if he would want to become the newPatriarch of Venice in light of the nearing death ofCarlo Agostini. Furthermore, Montini told him via letter on 29 November 1952 that Pius XII had decided to raise him to the cardinalate. Roncalli knew that he would be appointed to lead the patriarchy of Venice due to the death of Agostini, who was to have been raised to the rank of cardinal.[55]
On 12 January 1953, he was appointed Patriarch of Venice and raised to the rank ofCardinal-Priest ofSanta Prisca by Pope Pius XII. Before departing Paris he invited to dinner the eight men who had served asprime minister during Roncalli's term as nuncio.[56] Roncalli left France for Venice on 23 February 1953, stopping briefly in Milan and then to Rome. On 15 March 1953, he took possession of his new diocese in Venice. As a sign of his esteem, thePresident of France,Vincent Auriol, claimed the ancient privilege possessed by French monarchs and bestowed the redbiretta on Roncalli at a ceremony in theÉlysée Palace. It was around this time that he, with the aid of MonsignorBruno Heim, formed his coat of arms with alion of Saint Mark on a white ground. Auriol also awarded Roncalli three months later with the award of Commander of theLegion of Honour.
Roncalli decided to live on the second floor of the residence reserved for the patriarch, choosing not to live in the first-floor room once resided in by Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, who later becamePope Pius X. On 29 May 1954, the late Pius X was canonized, and Roncalli ensured that the late pontiff's patriarchal room was remodeled into a 1903 (the year of the new saint's papal election) look in his honor. With Pius X's few surviving relatives, Roncalli celebrated a Mass in his honor.
His sister Ancilla would soon be diagnosed with stomach cancer in the early 1950s. Roncalli's last letter to her was dated 8 November 1953 where he promised to visit her within the next week. He could not keep that promise, as Ancilla died on 11 November 1953 at the time when he was consecrating a new church in Venice. He attended her funeral back in his hometown. In his will around this time, he mentioned that he wished to be buried in the crypt ofSt Mark's Basilica in Venice with some of his predecessors rather than with the family in Sotto il Monte.
Following the death ofPope Pius XII on 9 October 1958, Roncalli watched the live funeral on his last full day inVenice on 11 October.[citation needed] His journal was specifically concerned with the funeral and the abused state of the late pontiff's corpse. Roncalli left Venice for the conclave in Rome well aware that he waspapabile,[c] and after eleven ballots, was elected to succeed the late Pius XII, so it came as no surprise to him, though he had arrived at the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice.[59]
Many had consideredGiovanni Battista Montini, theArchbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although he was the archbishop of one of the most ancient and prominentsees in Italy, he had not yet been made a cardinal.[60] Though his absence from the 1958 conclave did not make him ineligible – underCanon Law any Catholic male who is capable of receiving priestly ordination and episcopal consecration may be elected – theCollege of Cardinals usually chose the new pontiff from among the Cardinals who attend the papal conclave. At the time, as opposed to modern practice, the participating Cardinals did not have to be below age 80 to vote, there were few Eastern-rite Cardinals,[d] and some Cardinals were just priests at the time of their elevation.[e]
Roncalli was summoned to the final ballot of the conclave at 4:00pm. He was elected pope at 4:30pm with a total of 38 votes. After the long pontificate of Pope Pius XII, the cardinals chose a man who – it was presumed because of his advanced age – would be a short-term or "stop-gap" pope. Upon his election, CardinalEugène Tisserant asked him the ritual questions of whether he would accept and, if so, what name he would take for himself. Roncalli gave the first of his many surprises when he chose "John" as hispapal name. Roncalli's exact words were, "I will be called John." This was the first time in over 500 years that this name had been chosen; previous popes had avoided its use since the time of theAntipope John XXIII during theWestern Schism several centuries before.
On the choice of his papal name, Pope John XXIII said to the cardinals:
I will be called John... a name sweet tous because it is the name of our father, dear to us because it is the name of the humble parish church where we were baptized, the solemn name of numberless cathedrals scattered throughout the world, including our own basilica [St. John Lateran].Twenty-two Johns ofindisputable legitimacy have [been Pope], and almost all had a brief pontificate. We have preferred to hide the smallness of our name behind this magnificent succession of Roman Pontiffs.[61][62]
Upon his choosing the name, there was some confusion as to whether he would be known as John XXIII or John XXIV; in response, he declared that he was John XXIII, thus affirming the antipapal status ofantipope John XXIII.
Before this antipope, the most recent popes called John had beenJohn XXII (1316–1334) andJohn XXI (1276–1277). NoPope John XX existed, owing to confusion caused by medieval historians misreading theLiber Pontificalis to refer to another Pope John betweenJohn XIV andJohn XV.
After his election, he confided in CardinalMaurice Feltin that he had chosen the name "in memory of France and in the memory of John XXII who continued the history of the papacy in France."[63]
After he answered the two ritual questions, the traditionalHabemus Papam announcement was delivered by CardinalNicola Canali to the people at 6:08pm, an exact hour after the white smoke appeared. A short while later, he appeared on the balcony and gave his firstUrbi et Orbi blessing to the crowds of the faithful below inSaint Peter's Square. That same night, he appointedDomenico Tardini as hisCardinal Secretary of State. Of the three cassocks prepared for whoever the new pope was, even the largest was not enough to fit his obese frame, which had to be let out in certain places and only to be held together with great effort by safety pins. When he first saw himself in the mirror in his new vestments, he said with an appraising and critical look, "This man will be a disaster on television!" while later saying he felt his first appearance before the globe was as if he were a "newborn babe in swaddling clothes."[64]
Hiscoronation took place on 4 November 1958, on the feast of SaintCharles Borromeo, in the central loggia of the Vatican. He was crowned with the 1877Palatine Tiara. His coronation lasted the traditional five hours.
In John XXIII's firstconsistory on 15 December of that same year, Montini was created a cardinal and would become John XXIII's successor in 1963, taking the name ofPaul VI. That consistory was notable for being the first to expand the Sacred College membership beyond the then-traditional 70.
Pope John XXIII's coronation on 4 November 1958. He was crowned wearing the 1877Palatine Tiara.
Following his election, the new pope told the tale of how, in his first weeks, he was walking when he heard a woman exclaim in a loud voice: "My God, he's so fat!" The new pope casually remarked: "Madame, the holy conclave isn't exactly a beauty contest!"[64]
Monument to Pope John XXIII inPorto Viro (Rovigo)Pope John XXIII in 1959
On 25 December 1958, he became the first pope since 1870 to make pastoral visits in hisDiocese of Rome, when he visited children infected withpolio at theBambino Gesù Hospital and then visitedSanto Spirito Hospital. The following day, he visited Rome'sRegina Coeli prison, where he told the inmates: "You could not come to me, so I came to you." These gestures created a sensation, and he wrote in his diary: "... great astonishment in the Roman, Italian and international press. I was hemmed in on all sides: authorities, photographers, prisoners, warders..."[65]
During these visits, John XXIII put aside the normal papal use of theformal "we" when referring to himself, such as when he visited a reformatory school for juvenile delinquents in Rome telling them "I have wanted to come here for some time". The media noticed this and reported that "He talked to the youths in their own language."[66]
In international affairs, his "Ostpolitik" ["Eastern policy"] engaged in dialogue with the Communist countries of Eastern Europe. He worked to reconcile the Vatican with theRussian Orthodox Church to settle tensions between the local churches. The Second Vatican Council did not condemn Communism and did not even mention it, in what some[who?] have called a secret agreement between the Holy See and theSoviet Union.[citation needed] InPacem in terris, John XXIII also sought to prevent nuclear war and tried to improve relations between the Soviet Union and the United States. He began a policy of dialogue with Soviet leaders in order to seek conditions in which Eastern Catholics could find relief from persecution.[67]
Pope John XXIII made several gestures to demonstrate his sympathetic feelings for the Jewish community. He sent a message to theChief Rabbi of Israel announcing his election, even though the Holy See did not recognize the State of Israel. On 17 October 1960, he met with a delegation of 130 American Jews associated with theUnited Jewish Appeal. He greeted them with words from the Bible, "I am Joseph your brother," to establish that he and they were starting a new relationship despite what may have passed between Catholics and Jews before, asJoseph reconciled with his brothers inBook of Genesis. On 17 March 1962, he stopped his car when he saw people exiting the synagogue in Rome and blessed them in the morning. A rabbi described the scene: "After a moment of understandable bewilderment, the Jews surrounded him and applauded him enthusiastically. It was in fact the first time in history that a pope had blessed Jews and it was perhaps the first real gesture of reconciliation."[68][69]
One of the notable acts of Pope John XXIII, in 1960, was to eliminate the description of Jews asperfidius (Latin for "perfidious" or "faithless") in the prayer for theconversion of the Jews in theGood Friday liturgy. He interrupted the first Good Friday liturgy in his pontificate to address this issue when he first heard a celebrant refer to the Jews with that word. He also made a confession for the Church forantisemitism through the centuries.[70] Also, in 1960, John XXIII modified the language used in the baptism of adults, removing the warning against returning to one's earlier religious faith, with texts available for a pagan, Muslim, Jew, and heretical Christian. In the case of a Jewish convert the text was: "You should abhor Hebrew perfidy and reject Hebrew superstition." The modification was made because Pope John wanted "to emphasize everything that unites and to remove anything that unduly divides believers in God".[71]
While Vatican II was being held, John XXIII tasked CardinalAugustin Bea with creating several important documents that pertained to reconciliation with Jewish people. The declarationNostra aetate is generally thought to have been influenced by Pope John's teachings.
These words and actions endeared him to the Jewish people. The Chief Rabbi of Israel,Yitzhak Nissim, later mourned his death as "A loss that saddens all those who seek peace and human love."[72]
In matters ofdoctrinal theology, John XXIII has been considered to be a traditionalist. Stravinskas notes his "determination ... to ensure doctrinal fidelity" with past church teaching while ensuring that there was a contemporary tone in how such teaching was communicated.[75]
John XXIII was an advocate for human rights, including the rights of the unborn and the elderly. He wrote about human rights in hisencyclicalPacem in terris. He wrote, "Man has the right to live. He has the right to bodily integrity and to the means necessary for the proper development of life, particularly food, clothing, shelter, medical care, rest, and, finally, the necessary social services. In consequence, he has the right to be looked after in the event of ill health; disability stemming from his work; widowhood; old age; enforced unemployment; or whenever through no fault of his own he is deprived of the means of livelihood."[78]
John XXIII said that human life is transmitted through the family, which is founded on the sacrament of marriage and is both one and indissoluble as a union in God, therefore, it is against the teachings of the Church for a married couple todivorce.[79]
Pope John XXIII was the last pope to usefull papal ceremony, some of which was abolished afterVatican II, while the rest fell into disuse. Hispapal coronation ran for the traditional five hours (Pope Paul VI, by contrast, opted for a shorter ceremony, while later popes declined to be crowned). Pope John XXIII, like his predecessor Pius XII, chose to have the coronation itself take place on the balcony ofSt. Peter's Basilica, in view of the crowds assembled inSaint Peter's Square below.
He wore a number of papal tiaras during his papacy. On the most formal of occasions, he would don the 1877 Palatinetiara he received at his coronation, but on other occasions, he used the 1922 tiara of Pope Pius XI, which was used so often that it was associated with him quite strongly. The people of Bergamo gave him an expensive silvertiara, but he requested that the number of jewels used be halved and that the money be given to the poor.
Maintaining continuity with his predecessors, John XXIII continued the gradual reform of the Roman liturgy and published changes that resulted in the1962 Roman Missal, the last typical edition containing theTridentine Mass codified in 1570 byPope Pius V after theCouncil of Trent. It inserted into thecanon of the Mass the name ofSaint Joseph, the first change for centuries in the canon of the Mass.[80] Manytraditionalist Catholics, today, continue to use the 1962 Roman Missal, to celebrate Mass.
John XXIII proclaimed SaintLawrence of Brindisi as aDoctor of the Church on 19 March 1959 and conferred upon him the title "Doctor apostolicus" ("Apostolic Doctor").
According to the Italian historian Sérgio Luzzatto, the relationship between Pope John XXIII andPio of Pietrelcina (or "Padre Pio") was controversial and characterized by skepticism and criticism of Padre Pio made by John XXIII. He also accused Padre Pio of being a fraud and a lost soul who had an almost medieval faith and incorrect relationships with several women.[81]
However, another source stated that John XXIII's attitude towards Padre Pio was generally very positive but that, due to the wrong and negative information he received, John XXIII became quite skeptical and critical. However, according to this same source, shortly before his death, the Pope confessed that he had been wrongly informed and recognized the holiness of Padre Pio, and even asked Padre Pio to pray for him.[82]
The pope created 52 cardinals in five consistories, including his successor who would become Pope Paul VI. John XXIII decided to expand the size of the College of Cardinals beyond its limit of seventy thatPope Sixtus V established in 1586.[83] The pope also reserved three additional cardinals "in pectore" in 1960 which meant he secretly named cardinals without revealing their identities. The pope died before he could reveal these names, therefore meaning that these appointments were never legitimized. John XXIII also sought to further internationalize the College of Cardinals like Pius XII attempted, while also naming the first-ever cardinals from countries such asJapan (Peter Doi) andTanzania (Laurean Rugambwa). Unlike his predecessor, John XXIII held frequent consistories in a marked departure from Pius XII, returning to the frequency seen in the earlier 20th century.
John XXIII also issued a rule in 1962 mandating that all cardinals should be bishops; he himself ordained as bishops the twelve non-bishop cardinals in April 1962.[84]
According to a June 2007 interview,Loris Francesco Capovilla revealed thatFrancesco Lardone was one of the cardinals that John XXIII had reservedin pectore in 1960. According to Capovilla, Lardone's precarious position inTurkey meant that he would have to abandon his position if he were named to the cardinalate. Lardone was of the opinion that he could assist bishops in theIron Curtain from his posting which he would be unable to do if he was relocated to accept a position in Rome. In November 1960, in preparation for the next consistory, John XXIII offered the cardinalate to Diego Venini who declined the offer.[85]
John XXIII presiding the opening Mass of the Second Vatican Council
On 11 October 1962, the first session of theSecond Vatican Council was held in the Vatican. He gave theGaudet Mater Ecclesia speech, which served as the opening address for the council. The day consisted of electing members for several council commissions that would work on the issues presented in the council.[86] On the night following the conclusion of the first session, the people in Saint Peter's Square chanted and yelled with the objective of having John XXIII appear at the window to address them.
Pope John XXIII appeared at the window and delivered a speech to the people below, and told them to return home and hug their children, telling them that the hug came from the pope. This speech would later become known as the so-called 'Speech of the Moon, as John pointed to the moon, saying it was looking down on proceedings.'[87]
The first session ended in a solemn ceremony on 8 December 1962, with the next session scheduled to occur in 1963 from 12 May to 29 June – this was announced on 12 November 1962. John XXIII's closing speech made subtle references toPope Pius IX, and he had expressed the desire to see Pius IX beatified and eventually canonized. In his journal in 1959, during a spiritual retreat, John XXIII made this remark: "I always think of Pius IX of holy and glorious memory, and by imitating him in his sacrifices, I would like to be worthy to celebrate his canonization."
The body of John XXIII carried to St. Peter's Basilica for lying in stateThe original tomb of John XXIII (until 2000) in the Vatican necropolis
On 23 September 1962, Pope John XXIII was diagnosed withstomach cancer. The diagnosis, which was kept from the public, followed nearly eight months of occasional stomach hemorrhages and reduced the pontiff's appearances. Looking pale and drawn during these events, he gave a hint to his ultimate fate in April 1963, when he said to visitors, "That which happens to all men perhaps will happen soon to the Pope who speaks to you today."
Pope John XXIII offered to mediate between US PresidentJohn F. Kennedy andNikita Khrushchev during theCuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. Both men applauded the pope for his deep commitment to peace. Khrushchev would later send a message viaNorman Cousins and the letter expressed his best wishes for the pontiff's ailing health. John XXIII personally typed and sent a message back to him, thanking him for his letter. Cousins, meanwhile, traveled toNew York City and ensured that John would becomeTime magazine's 'Man of the Year.' John XXIII became the first Pope to receive the title, followed byJohn Paul II in 1994 andFrancis in 2013.
On 10 May 1963, John XXIII received theBalzan Prize in private at the Vatican but deflected achievements of himself to the five popes of his lifetime,Pope Leo XIII to Pius XII. On 11 May, the Italian PresidentAntonio Segni officially awarded Pope John XXIII with the Balzan Prize for his engagement for peace. While in the car en route to the official ceremony, he suffered great stomach pains but insisted on meeting with Segni to receive the award in theQuirinal Palace, refusing to do so within the Vatican. He stated that it would have been an insult to honor a pontiff on the remains of the crucifiedSaint Peter.[91] It was the pope's last public appearance.
On 25 May 1963, the pope suffered another hemorrhage and required several blood transfusions, but cancer had perforated the stomach wall, andperitonitis soon set in. The doctors conferred in a decision regarding this matter, and John XXIII's aideLoris F. Capovilla broke the news to him, saying that the cancer had done its work and nothing could be done for him. Around this time, his remaining siblings arrived to be with him. By 31 May, it had become clear that the cancer had overcome the resistance of John XXIII – it had left him confined to his bed.
At 11 amPetrus Canisius van Lierde asCardinal Secretary of State and Papal Sacristan was at the bedside of the dying pope, ready toanoint him. The pope began to speak for the last time: "I had the great grace to be born into a Christian family, modest and poor, but with the fear of the Lord. My time on Earth is drawing to a close. But Christ lives on and continues his work in the Church. Souls, souls,ut omnes unum sint."[f] Van Lierde then anointed his eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet. Overcome by emotion, van Lierde forgot the right order of anointing. John XXIII gently helped him before bidding those present a last farewell.
— Peter Hebblethwaite,John XXIII, Pope of the Council (1994), page 502[91]
John XXIII died of peritonitis caused by a perforated stomach at 19:49 local time on 3 June 1963 at the age of 81, ending a historic pontificate of four years and seven months. He died just as a Mass for him finished in Saint Peter's Square below, celebrated byLuigi Traglia. Then, the room was illuminated, thus informing the people of what had happened. The Italian government announced three days of mourning with flags half-masted and the closure of offices and schools.[92]Spain announced ten days of mourning with flags half-masted;[93] ThePhilippines announced nine days of mourning with flags half-masted;[94]Brazil declared five days of mourning;[95]Portugal,[96]Paraguay andGuatemala announced three days of mourning;[97][98] theRepublic of the Congo declared one day of mourning.[99] He was buried on 6 June in theVatican Grottoes. Twowreaths, placed on the two sides of his tomb, were donated by the prisoners of the Regina Coeli prison and the Mantova jail in Verona. On 22 June 1963, one day after his friend and successorPope Paul VI was elected, the latter prayed at his tomb. John XXIII's tomb is located near the tombs of bothPope Pius X andPope John Paul II.
The body of John XXIII in the altar of Saint JeromeThe canonization ceremony of John XXIII and John Paul II
He was known affectionately as the "Good Pope".[100] His cause for canonization was opened underPope Paul VI during the final session of theSecond Vatican Council on 18 November 1965,[101] along with the cause ofPope Pius XII. On 3 September 2000, John XXIII was declared "Blessed" alongsidePope Pius IX byPope John Paul II, the penultimate step on the road tosainthood, after a miracle of curing an ill woman was discovered. He was the first pope sincePope Pius X to receive this honour. Following his beatification, his body was moved from its original burial place in the grottoes below theVatican to the altar ofSt. Jerome and displayed for theveneration of the faithful.[102][103]
At the time, the body was observed to be extremely well preserved – a condition which the Church ascribes to embalming[104] and the lack of airflow in his sealed triple coffin rather than amiracle. When John XXIII's body was moved in 2001, it was once again treated to prevent deterioration.[105] The original vault above the floor was removed and a new one built beneath the ground; it was here that the body of Pope John Paul II was entombed from 9 April 2005 to April 2011, before being moved for his beatification on 1 May 2011.[106] The tomb was ultimately occupied byBenedict XVI following his death in 2022.
The 50th anniversary of his death was celebrated on 3 June 2013 byPope Francis, who visited his tomb and prayed there, then addressed the gathered crowd and spoke about the late pope. The people who gathered there at the tomb were from Bergamo, the province where the late pope came from. A month later, on 5 July 2013, Francis approved Pope John XXIII for canonization, along with Pope John Paul II, without the traditional second miracle required. Instead, Francis based this decision on John XXIII's merits for the Second Vatican Council.[107] On Sunday, 27 April 2014, John XXIII and Pope John Paul II were declared saints onDivine Mercy Sunday.[108]
The date assigned for the liturgical celebration of John XXIII is not 3 June, the anniversary of his death, as would be usual (due to the obligatory memorial of saintsCharles Lwanga and hiscompanion martyrs), but 11 October, the anniversary of his opening of the Second Vatican Council.[109] He is also commemorated in theAnglican Church of Canada, theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America, and some other organizations with a feast day of 3 June or 4 June.[110][111][112][113]
On 3 December 1963, US PresidentLyndon B. Johnson posthumously awarded him thePresidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian award, in recognition of the good relationship between Pope John XXIII and the United States of America. The citation for the medal reads:
"His Holiness Pope John XXIII, dedicated servant of God. He brought to all citizens of the planet a heightened sense of the dignity of the individual, of the brotherhood of man, and of the common duty to build an environment of peace for all humankind."
Paul VI wrote in his first encyclical letter,Ecclesiam Suam, that John had "labored with masterly assurance to bring divine truths as far as may be within the reach of the experience and understanding of modern man."[114]
In 1965,Harry Saltzman produced a biography of Pope John XXIII, calledA Man Named John, based on the diary he kept between the ages of 14 and 18, documenting his lifelong concern for tolerance, for the underprivileged, and for world peace. His character is played byRod Steiger.
From his teens, when he entered the seminary, he maintained a diary of spiritual reflections that was subsequently published as theJournal of a Soul. The collection of writings charts Roncalli's goals and his efforts as a young man to "grow in holiness" and continues after his election to the papacy; it remains widely read.[115]
During an event held on 6 May 2019 inSofia (Bulgaria), Pope Francis invoked John XXIII's encyclicalPacem in terris as a "code of conduct" for peace between Catholics and other religions.[124][125]
On 17 August 2003,The Guardian, a British newspaper, published a confidential document of the Church, to which it had access, dated 16 March 1962, instructing bishops around the world to cover up cases of sexual abuse by clergy, or they would run the risk of beingexcommunicated from the Church. The document, bearing the seal of Pope John XXIII, is namedCrimen sollicitationis, translated to "On the Manner of Proceeding in Cases of the Crime of Solicitation"[126]
In the 69-page document, victims are asked to take an oath of secrecy when making a complaint to Church officials. It states that the instructions must 'be diligently stored in the secret archives of the [Vatican] Curia as strictly confidential. The theme focuses on sexual abuse initiated as part of the confessional relationship between a priest and a member of his congregation, but also covers aspects related to the "indescribable crime" withyoung people of both sexes andsex with animals. Bishops are instructed to investigate these cases 'in the most secret way [...] contained by a perpetual silence [...] and all must observe the strictest secret that is commonly considered a secret of the Holy Office, under penalty of excommunication.[127][128]
The document was valid until 2001, when a new set of procedures was published by the Vatican to investigate and judge particularly serious canonical crimes, including certain sexual crimes committed by members of the clergy.[129]
^William Doino is one of the commentators who claim that Roncalli waspapabile and argue that "[b]y the time of Pius XII’s death, in 1958, Cardinal Roncalli 'contrary to the idea he came out of nowhere to become pope' was actually one of those favored to be elected. He was well known, well-liked, and trusted."[58]
^"Pope John XXIII".The Papal Library (biography). Saint Mike. Archived fromthe original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved23 June 2013.
^Hebblethwaite, Peter (1994),John XXIII, Pope of the Council (rev ed.), Glasgow: Harper Collins, p. 46
^Hebblethwaite, Peter (1994),John XXIII, Pope of the Council (rev ed.), Glasgow: Harper Collins, pp. 76–77
^"Pope John XXIII".Liturgy (news). Rome, IT: Vatican. 3 September 2000. Archived fromthe original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved23 June 2013.
^"SEGRETARIA DI STATO" [SECRETARIAT OF STATE](PDF). Diarium Romanae Curiae.Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale (in Italian).XIII (7): 277. 1 June 1921. Retrieved9 July 2022.
^Hebblethwaite, Peter (1994),John XXIII, Pope of the Council (rev ed.), Glasgow: Harper Collins, p. 96
^This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Areopolis".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^Shannon, William Henry (1970). "VII. The Papal Commission on Birth Control".The lively debate: response to Humanae vitae. New York: Sheed & Ward. pp. 76–104.ISBN978-0-8362-0374-5.
^Noonan, James-Charles (2012).The Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church, Revised Edition. New York: Sterling Ethos. pp. 8–9.ISBN978-1-40278730-0.
^"Catholic Cardinals Now Are All Bishops"(PDF).The New York Times. 20 April 1962. Retrieved25 October 2017.From today therefore, perhaps for the first time in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, all Cardinals are Bishops.
^Salvador Miranda."John XXIII (1958-1963)". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved18 February 2022.
^Bokenkotter, Thomas (2005).A Concise History of the Catholic Church. New York: Image. p. 413.ISBN978-0-385-51613-6.
^Interviste [Interviews] (in Italian), vol. 83, Rome, IT: Vatican, 2008, c. 1, retrieved5 February 2013
^Meneghetti, Antonio 'Tonino',"Io bloggo",Ontospychology, retrieved5 February 2013,On 8 March 1963, Pope Giovanni XXIII came to the Angelicum to celebrate the passage from Ateneo Angelicum to University: Pontificia Universitas Studiorum Sancti Tomae Aquinatis in Urbe.
^abHebblethwaite, Peter (1994),John XXIII, Pope of the Council (rev ed.), Glasgow: Harper Collins, p. 502
Coppa, Frank J. "The National Edition of the Diaries of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli/Pope John XXIII: A Bibliographical Essay."The Catholic Historical Review 97#1 (2011), pp. 81–92online
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