Two popes to remember: Part 1—John XXIII
April 29, 2025
The follow-up to the last post on Flannery O’Connor and unmasking the grotesque was set aside when I learned of the death of Pope Francis on the day after Easter. By now you have seen many articles and news specials about Francis. Thinking of him brought to mind Pope John XXIII (1881-1963), whom I am old enough to remember, so today is about him, and later I will post the second part on Francis.
John XXIII
John, like Francis, was born in humble circumstances, and neither forgot where they came from. That identity shaped their lives, their ministries, and their papacies. John was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, the third of 13 children whose father was a tenant farmer in a small village near Bergamo. Though poor, he said, “We had the necessities of life, and we were strong and healthy.” He was the oldest son, but he left home at age 11 to prepare for the priesthood, though “he continued to spend vacations with his family and remained close to them throughout his life.” When elected as pope, he took the name of John, he said, because it was “a name sweet to us because it is the name of our father, dear to me because it is the name of the humble parish church where I was baptized . . . .” [Note the humble connections to the name. Note also that he switches from the pontifical plural to the singular pronouns.] He went on to speak of the cathedrals around the world and other reasons for choosing John, including that “it reminds us of John the Baptist, precursor of our Lord . . . and the other John, the disciple and evangelist. . . .” [See the 1958 Time article in the Notes for other stories about John.]
As reported at the time, “Instead of spending the next 24 hours in seclusion as had been expected, he was on the air next day with his first message to the world, broadcast by Vatican Radio in 36 languages.” John’s first message found echoes in the last message of Francis on Easter, about which I will post next time. John’s words (in translation from the Time article in the Notes):
Why must the resources of human ingenuity and the wrath of nations be turned more and more to the preparation of arms—pernicious instruments of death and destruction—instead of improving the welfare of all classes, particularly the poorer classes? We know, it is true, that to bring about so laudable, so praiseworthy a proposition and to level the differences there are grave and intricate difficulties in the way, but they must be victoriously overcome, even if by force: this is, in fact, the most important undertaking, connected with the prosperity of all mankind.
John, like Francis, was influential in other ways, especially through the work of the Second Vatican Council, known as Vatican II (1962-65), which he summoned. The word often used to describe Vatican II is aggiornamento, an Italian word meaning ‘modernization or bringing up to date’. It reformed the teaching and practice of the church, especially concerning the hierarchy, the roles of bishops, and the roles of the laity in the church, including in the mass. It prepared the way for greater openness to science and technology, while still maintaining older doctrine concerning abortion, birth control, and euthanasia. These and the role of women in the church and in society are among the major controversies dividing the Catholic church within itself, from many other faith traditions, and from parts of society. Without diminishing the importance of those issues, we should not forget the long tradition of Catholic education and social teaching and the current vast network of Catholic social ministries, JD Vance notwithstanding.
One important reform that also influenced the life of other Christian denominations was refocusing worship and teaching on scripture, including centering preaching on more extensive use of the Bible in worship. The result was the development of a new lectionary, a three-year cycle of readings for worship, tied to the liturgical year. After years of conversations and collaborations, a revision of that lectionary was eventually adopted by Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and, less extensively, Methodists. Not only does this resource provide congregations with much broader exposure to the breadth of the Bible (including problematic passages), obliging preachers and congregants to struggle with challenges to doctrine and faith, but it also becomes a basis for commonality, if not yet unity, among denominations. Because of this broad use, there has been an abundance of preaching and devotional resources for both lay members and ministers. [Whether those resources have improved the quality of preaching, I cannot say.]
During the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, John issued the encyclical Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), in which he spoke to both sides of the conflict, arguing that peaceful coexistence was a necessity for the survival of humanity. Like Francis, he had a special regard for the poor, and he was loved and respected by many, including non-Catholics as well as some who are not part of any religious tradition, though both popes had their detractors in the conservative wings of the church.
John did not live to see the results of Vatican II, but it was continued under his successor, Paul VI (papacy 1963-78). After Paul’s death, the next pope elected, born Albino Luciani, chose the name John Paul, to honor both his predecessors. He was the first pope to choose a double name and the first “in centuries who refused to be crowned, opting instead for the simple pallium of an archbishop.” His papacy lasted only 33 days, dying apparently from a heart attack (prompting conspiracy theories). He was, in turn, honored by his successor, who took the name John Paul II (papacy 1978-2005), who was followed by the traditionalist Benedict XVI (2005-13), the first pope to resign since 1415. It was Francis who declared John Paul I a “Venerable Servant of God,” a step toward sainthood in the Catholic Church. The Vatican News report, using his birth name, stated, in part,
Luciani vowed to serve as a teacher and a servant and had taken up Humilitas (Humility) as his episcopal motto which was evident even after he was appointed a pope. He wished to do away with [the] Papal Coronation mass and chose to have just [a] papal inauguration. He also preferred not to use the ‘sedia gestatoria’ or the ceremonial throne like an armchair on which the Pope travels from St Peter’s Square.
Luciani, a warm, gentle and kind man with a friendly disposition, was loved by the people who were in awe of his persona. . . . His ideologies reflected the spirit of humanity and showcased the immense love and warmth that he had for God and his people.
His swift six-point plan defined what the journey of his pontificate would be. He planned to renew the Church through the policies implemented by Vatican II, to revise canon law, to remind the Church of its duty to preach the Gospel, to promote Church unity without watering down doctrine, to promote dialogue and to encourage world peace and social justice. . . .
For Pope Francis, John Paul I was an icon of mercy and humility and he has quoted him in his homilies and in an interview.
As this passage demonstrates, the ties between John XXIII and Francis run through John Paul I; therefore, this seems a good place to end this post so we can pick up with Francis later this week.
Notes:
“Pope John XXIII: 1958-1963,” Biography from the Vatican: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/biography/documents/hf_j-xxiii_bio_16071997_biography.html
“I Choose John . . .”, Time, November 10, 1958: https://time.com/archive/6871154/religion-i-choose-john/
"Saint John XXIII." Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2025. academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Saint-John-XXIII/43774. Recommended by this article: Peter Hebblethewaite, Pope John XXIII: Shepherd of the Modern World. (1985) Doubleday, and Pope John XXIII, The Journal of a Soul. (1966) New American Library. (Later printings available)
"Papacy." Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2025. academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/papacy/58312.
“Second Vatican Council." Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 3 Mar. 2025. academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Second-Vatican-Council/74901.
On the Revised Common Lectionary: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/faq/
“Pope approves the heroic virtues of Servant of God Pope John Paul I” [On Francis declaring John Paul I a ‘Venerable Servant of God’ based on ‘heroic virtues’], Vatican News, November 9, 2017: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2017-11/pope-approves-the-heroic-virtues-of-servant-of-god-pope-john-pau.html