Saint Pope JOHN XXIII | 11 Oct | 5 Things to know more | Secular Franciscan

Описание: Video courtesy: British Pathe

Who is St. John XIII?
Although few people had as great an impact on the 20th century as Pope John XXIII (1), he avoided the limelight as much as possible. Indeed, one writer notes his “ordinariness” seems one of his most remarkable qualities.
He was firstborn son of a farming family in Sotto il Monte (2), near Bergamo in northern Italy, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was always proud of his down-to-earth roots. In Bergamo’s diocesan seminary, he joined the Secular Franciscan Order.
After his ordination in 1904, Fr. Roncalli returned to Rome for canon law studies. He soon worked as his bishop’s secretary, Church history teacher in the seminary, and as publisher of the diocesan paper.
His service as a stretcher-bearer for the Italian army during World War I gave him a first-hand knowledge of war. In 1925, he became a papal diplomat, serving first in Bulgaria, then in Turkey, and finally in France. During World War II, he became well acquainted with Orthodox Church leaders. With the help of Germany’s ambassador to Turkey, Archbishop Roncalli helped save an estimated 24,000 Jewish people. (The picture of pope)
What was he like as Pope?
Named a cardinal and appointed patriarch of Venice in 1953, he was finally a residential bishop. A month short of entering his 78th year, Cardinal Roncalli was elected pope, taking the name John after his father and the two patrons of Rome’s cathedral, St. John Lateran.
Pope John took his work very seriously but not himself. His wit soon became well-known, and he began meeting with political and religious leaders from around the world.
Meek and gentle, enterprising and courageous, simple and active, he carried out the Christian duties of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy: visiting the imprisoned and the sick, welcoming those of every nation and faith, bestowing on all his tender fatherly care.
What did he do as Pope?
In stark contrast to his predecessors, Pope John urged the church to accept modernity and the secular world instead of setting itself in constant opposition to it. Some called him “John-Outside-the Walls” because he was the first pope to leave the confines of the Vatican to visit prisons and hospitals.
His most famous encyclicals were Mother and Teacher (1961) and Peace on Earth (1963). In 1962, he was deeply involved in efforts to resolve the Cuban missile crisis.
Pope John XXIII enlarged the membership in the College of Cardinals and made it more international.
He launched an extensive renewal of the Church, while radiating the peace of one who always trusted in the Lord.
He convoked to the Second Vatican Council in 1962 to the shock and surprise of many, At his address at the opening of the Council, he criticized the “prophets of doom” who “in these modern times see nothing but ruin.”
Pope John XXIII set a tone for the Council when he said, “The Church has always opposed… errors. Nowadays, however, the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity.”
The faithful saw in him a reflection of the goodness of God and called him "the good Pope". He was sustained by a profound spirit of prayer.
Why is Saint Pope John XIII known as the Witty Saint?
Pope John’s one-liners are legendary. “How many people work at the Vatican?” a reporter asked him. “Oh, no more than half of them,” John replied with a wink.
On another occasion, a Curia official told Pope John that it would be “absolutely impossible” to open the Second Vatican Council by 1963. “Fine, we’ll open it in 1962,” John answered. And they did.
Then there was the time Pope John visited the Hospital of the Holy Spirit. All in a flutter, the religious sister in charge introduced herself, “Most Holy Father, I am the superior of the Holy Spirit!” To which John replied, “Well, I must say you’re lucky. I’m only the Vicar of Christ!”
Pope John XXIII had a good sense of humour, and who couldn’t love a pope who had a sense of humour?
What do we learn from Pope John XIII?
On his deathbed, Pope John said: “It is not that the gospel has changed; it is that we have begun to understand it better. Those who have lived as long as I have…were enabled to compare different cultures and traditions, and know that the moment has come to discern the signs of the times, to seize the opportunity and to look far ahead.”
“Good Pope John” died on June 3, 1963. Saint John Paul II beatified him in 2000, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014.
Pope john loved the church so much and made sure that he did what he could to make the church relevant to the times. It was his prophetic intuition and ardent commitment that led him to convoke the second Vatican council
The life of Blessed John XXIII is a lesson in how obedience and trust in God lead to an interior peace that is naturally recognized by and shared with others. ."