Religion CPT
Pope John XXIII

Name: mapleweef
Teacher: Teacher Name Here Date:today
Pope John XXIII was born November 25, 1881 (Rome, Italy) with the name Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli. He was the fourth in a family of 14. The family worked as sharecroppers. The town’s priest got him interested in religion. He was considered a star pupil with his teachers. Before he could finish his studies he was drafted as a sergeant in the medical corps and became a chaplain to wounded soldiers. He enjoyed army life however within the first few weeks he lost twenty pounds. Some of his friends wondered if he would leave the army, when the opportunity came he took off his sword and went on indefinite leave, without pay. When the war ended, he opened a "Student House" for the spiritual needs of young people. He had no problems attracting students. He was a war hero, gentle, kind and very amusing company. When the Second World War broke out he was in Greece. He got news from the prisoners and informed their families on how they were managing. He assisted many Jewish people to escape by issuing "transit visas" from the Apostolic Delegation. On March 19 1925 he was ordained Bishop and left for Bulgaria. He was given the title Apostolic Delegate and stayed in Bulgaria until 1935, visiting the Catholic population and created relationships of respect and esteem with the additional Christian communities. In the outcome of the 1928 earthquake his concern was everywhere. He carried on in silence the misunderstandings and other difficulties of a ministry on the outer reaches of society, and as a result advanced his sense of trust and abandonment to Jesus crucified. After the death of Pius XII he was elected Pope on 28 October 1958, taking the name Pope John XXIII. It took 4 tries of voting for him to get the two thirds majority that was needed to become pope. He was elected pope at the age of 77. During his time as pope 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 exquisite fatherly care. Pope John XXIII also made an unusual venture into present-day politics during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. With the United States and the Soviet Union on the brink of nuclear war, Pope John XXIII made an emotional plea over the Vatican Radio: "We beg all rulers not to be deaf to the cry of humanity." Pope John XXIII is perhaps best known for convening the second Church Unity council at the Vatican, known as Vatican II. Whereas previous councils were usually organized in order to correct some doctrinal error which was becoming too popular, John XXIII purposely rejected this as his reason. According to him, “Nowadays men are condemning [errors] of their own accord.” Instead, he imagined a council which would be positive instead of negative. He sought after a council which promoted mercy, faith and the pastoral role of the church rather than merely strict adherence to a new statement of orthodoxy. This effort to promote Church Unity was a significant reason why he became so popular with non-Catholics. In September 23, 1962, an X-ray revealed that Pope John XXIII was suffering from a complex case of stomach cancer. The illness would take his life the following year. This information was not told to the public because Pope John XXIII still hoped to continue guiding the Vatican II council for as long as achievable. Pope John XXIII passed away on the evening of June 3 1963. He remains one of the most commonly adored popes in the history of the Roman Catholic Church - not only by Catholics but also by non-Catholics. He demonstrated his love for others by treating them as equals no matter their religion, race, background, financial situation, political position or criminal record. Pope John XXIII demonstrated the beatitude: blessed are the peace makers when he made the plea to the US and USSR during the cold war. Pope John XXIII also demonstrated the beatitude: blessed are the merciful because he wanted a council that focused on the good and not the bad. Pope John XXIII is a clear model of gospel values because he does not judge people, he gives generously and he loves everybody. What he has done in his life challenges us to be more welcoming to strangers, to be less involved with materialistic possessions, to spend time in church and with family and to be more open to others and to not judge them by their religion, race, background, financial situation, political position or criminal record.

Work Cited MacGregor-Hastie, Roy. Pope John XXIII. Great Britan: Cassill&Co.,LTD, 1961.
L'Osservatore, Romano. "www.vatican.va." http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20000903_john-xxiii_en.html. N.p., 06Sep2000. Web. 28 Nov 2011.
. "about.com." http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/western/bldef_johnxxiii.htm. The New York Times Company, n.d. Web. 28 Nov 2011.