I love John XXIII, Pope and Saint - his smile, insights and courage. John was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli on 25 November 1881 into a large family in Northern Italy. He was a member of the Vatican's diplomatic corps, serving as nuncio in France and delegate to Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey. Diplomats across Europe loved his pleasant ways. They valued his insightful and pervasive ways in negotiations. In 1953 Pope Pius XII made him a cardinal and appointed him as Patriarch of Venice. There he showed his pastoral concern for local church communities and the formation of the clergy.
In 1958 at the age of 76, he was elected pope. An old man, he was regarded as a 'fill-in' pope. But he surprised everyone over the next five years. He initiated writing memorial encyclicals and called the world's bishops from every Catholic Rite to attend a Second Vatican Council.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of his encyclical 'Peace on Earth' (Pacem in Terris). It stands with Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical on the 'Condition of the Working Class' (Rerum Novarum) and Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical on 'Care for our Common Home' (Laudato Si). Each of these revolutionised the Catholic faith, its beliefs and practice.
In Pacem in Terris, John XXIII made major break-troughs in Catholic Social Teaching:
- The encyclical letter was addressed to Catholics and all people of goodwill.
- He responded to the 1948 United Nations Declaration on Human Rights by incorporating much of it into Catholic teaching.
- He challenged world leaders to seek peace in an age of nuclear threats, taking the lead by reaching out to leaders in communist nations.
The encyclical went beyond issues of economic justice to address peace in all relationships. He highlighted better relationships between developed and underdeveloped countries as a condition of growing world peace. With his gaze on a church of service, John XXIII declared that the Second Vatican Council would be a pastoral council. It was to respect the dignity of all people, equal before God and made in God's image. It declared that all believers were members of the People of God with their rightful place in every believing community. He metaphorically opened wide the Vatican windows. Graced by God, the church was called on a mission to be a light to the nations.
The pastoral impact of the Council was immense, and its riches are still being teased out sixty years later. Liturgical reform came first, mining the best traditions of the past and brushing off barnacles accumulated over history. A new three-year lectionary helped open up the riches of Scripture to the faithful. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) set the faithful to proclaim Gospel living confidently. In particular, its practice rejuvenated young churches in places such as South Korea. John XXIII called for a reformed church to enter the world, engaging with its joys, hopes, griefs, and anxieties.
In addition to seeking respectful dialogue with the secular world based on the common good, John XXIII included all Christian churches in the Council as a public display of ecumenism. This dialogue has developed since Vatican II to include believers from all faiths - the Abrahamic traditions, other major belief systems and the more nebulous world of nature-based religions.
In our time, Pope Francis strives to advance the life-giving optimism of John XXIII. He constantly calls the faithful and all peoples to a conversion of heart, to humility before a God of gracious gifts. He reminds leaders to remember that all things are related. He calls for all people to care for Earth as our typical home.
One of his most vital warnings of Pope Francis is against bowing to the dictatorship of economics, plunging consumers into self-centred lifestyles. He takes the teaching of John XXIII on rights and freedom to preach a pathway of fraternity and encounter with God - humanity committing to a future God wants for all creation.
I am glad to remember Pope John XXIII and the 60th anniversary of Pacem in Terris. It gives me hope to help face multi-national world conflicts and human survival challenges by accelerating climate challenges.
Columban Fr Charles Rue lives in Canberra, Australia.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban eBulletin.
