Pope John XXIII: results of activities

The Pope is the highest position in the Catholic world, it is the visible head of the church, the theological and canonical symbol of faith. Given the high sacred status of the pontiff and at the same time the heads of the sovereign state of the Vatican, everyone who wore this high title can be called truly outstanding personalities. But even among the church patriarchs there were especially outstanding people who will always be remembered by history.

They can be unequivocally attributed to Pope John XXIII. His election to the throne was fatal, historians still share the history of the Catholic Church for the period until the Second Vatican Council, convened by John XXIII, and the period after.
The wise and measured policy of the patriarch contributed to the revival of human faith in the Higher Forces, in good and justice. It was this true faith that was already almost buried under the endless religious dogma, the dead laws of righteousness and obsolete doctrines.

Biography of a saint before being elected to the papal throne

Pope John XXIII, in the world of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, comes from a poor, large family of peasants. He was born in the north of Italy in the beautiful province of Bergamo in 1881.

Already in the first years of his studies in a provincial elementary school, a young peasant was preparing to enter the seminary. With the help of a local priest, the boy learned Latin. He successfully graduated from the Bergamo Seminary in 1900, and four years later and the theological faculty of the Pontifical Seminary in Rome. In 1904 he took the priesthood and became the secretary of Bishop D. M. Radini Tedeschi. He also taught the history of religion at the same seminary in Bergamo.

During the First World War, he served in the army as a hospital attendant at the hospital, and then as a military chaplain. In 1921, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was one of the members of the Sacred Congregation of Faith.

Pope John XXIII: diplomatic career, nunciature, peacemaking

Roncalli's success as a papal ambassador (nuncio) also deserves special attention. The high tolerance, intelligence and education of the diplomat helped him to communicate successfully with representatives of different faiths, religious views and traditions. He argued that people should not speak with the language of dogmas, good advice and taboo, but in the language of mutual respect, listen to different opinions, admit the existence of several truths in the name of good and peace.

During the episcopacy from 1925 to 1953 he was a nuncio in Sofia, Ankara, Athens, Paris. His diplomatic activities unfolded in difficult years, which were accompanied by military actions, coups, changes of power, etc. He helped to peacefully resolve various levels of conflict - from interfaith marriages to political intrigues.

And in 1953 Roncalli was elected Patriarch of Venice, Cardinal.

John XXIII: the beginning of the ministry

The election of the Pope in 1958 was not easy and was accompanied by an administrative crisis of the Roman Curia. The struggle for the supreme patriarchal post was conducted mainly between two camps: conservative cardinals and "progressives". Each had his own candidate, but none was given enough votes.

Eventually on the 11th round of the conclave was elected Roncalli's dad, a "dark horse" among the cardinals of the contenders. He became the oldest pope at the time of election (he turned 77.) Roncalli chose the papal name John XXIII. This popular name among the popes was a kind of "damned". Prior to this 550 years, none of the pontiffs chose the church name John, since the odious Baltazar Cossa John XXIII - the antipope - just so called himself. But Roncalli stressed that he chooses this name in honor of St. John the Baptist and the Apostle John the Theologian and in memory of his father. He maintained close contact with his parents, brothers and sisters at all stages of the church career. The Patriarch also noted that John XXIII (the anti-pope) was not a legitimate pope, since he "ruled" during the Great Western schism, was an immoral sinner and had no right to bear this holy name.

The election of Pope John XXIII was a kind of forced step when none of the main contenders could score enough votes among the cardinals. John XXIII Baden was a "transitional pope", who had to rule until the Catholic Church was finally determined with an ideological course (conservative or progressive). Probably some role in the decision of the cardinals was played by the fact that the reign of John could not last long, because he was already 77 years old. But in fact, this "passing dad" became a cult figure in the Christian world, the most proactive figure of his time. For a short period of his pontificate, he managed to introduce a number of fateful changes.

Pope's church initiatives

As a military doctor, then a nuncio, John XXIII saw, felt and experienced many contradictory truths, met threatening social problems, communicated with people of different beliefs, saw many deaths, conflicts, and destruction. He, as a person, understood how much humanity is going through in difficult military and post-war ruinous years: poverty, disease, poverty. And he knew that empathy, charity, glorification of understandable truths, such as goodness, justice and faith in the best, is what people expect from the church, and not the next canons, dogmas, worship before the patriarchs.

Dad was a very charismatic individual, he walked the Vatican without his entourage, he did not use his post to promote relatives or friends to political or ecclesiastical circles. He did not refuse to meet with the masters or workers and skip a glass right on the street. But, despite this eccentricity, he was faithful to the Laws of God.

He understood that truth, the commandments of God can only be communicated to people by communicating with Christians in their own language, listening to the sober opinion of others, respecting the brethren by faith.

He abolished the kneeling, the traditional kissing of the ring, ordered to remove from the lexicon ornate words such as "deeply revered lips" and "most reverent steps."

The pope opened the church to the world. If in all centuries and even in the first half of the twentieth century, Catholicism was associated with authoritarianism, then after his reign the situation shifted from a dead end. The church continued to win back a key political, ideological function, but the authority of the clergy ceased to be inviolable.

In addition to a close interconfessional dialogue, John XXIII - the Pope of the world - initiated a new political course addressed to representatives of all non-Christian religions. He proclaimed the principles of respect for their spiritual values, cultural customs, traditions, social foundations.

For the first time, a visit was made to Jerusalem, apologies were made to the Jews for long-term persecutions, cruelties, anti-Semitism. The new papal government recognized that the accusations of the Jews in the death of Jesus Christ are unfounded, and the new Catholic leadership does not join them.

Pope John XXIII declared that all people should unite the world, good, faith in the best, mutual respect, the desire to save human lives, and not fidelity to the canons. He, perhaps, was the first of all the chapters of the Vatican to recognize that it is not so important in what language the church service is conducted, the parishioners stand or sit. The Padres so timely and honestly drew attention to the fact that instead of reconciling people, making them kinder and more harmonious, the church even more disorientates and splits them, emphasizing the need to follow the exact list of church traditions that are different in each confession: to be baptized correctly, Properly bow and behave in the cathedral.

He said: "In the cathedral of church traditions, obsolete musty air is dominated, it is necessary to open the windows wider".

Second Vatican Council

Pope John XXIII completely thwarted the hopes of the Cardinals and the Curia on his unassuming neutral board, already 90 days after the occupation of the papal throne, the Pontiff expressed his intention to convene the Ecumenical Council. The reaction of the cardinals was difficult to call approving. They said that until 1963 it will be very difficult to prepare and convene the Council, to which the Pope replied: "Excellent, we will prepare then until 1962."

Even before the start of the cathedral, Giovanni learned that he had cancer, but he refused a risky operation, because he wanted to live up to the day when he would address honest people to the opening of the cathedral asking for peace, good and empathy.

The task of the cathedral was to adapt the church to the modern world, make friends, establish a dialogue, and perhaps reunite with the separated Christians. Representatives of Orthodox communities from Greece, Russia, Poland, Jerusalem were invited to the Council.

The result of the Second Vatican, which ended after the death of Pope John XXIII, was the adoption of a new pastoral constitution, "Joy and Hope," which examined new views on religious education, freedom of belief, and attitude towards non-Christian churches.

Results and evaluation of activities

True true results of the great pontiff's work were appreciated only by his followers several years later. But everyone who is going to sum up some of his reign, certainly awaits a wonderful mixture of feelings: something on the verge of delight and surprise. After all, the results of the pope's activities are amazing.

One could even say that he continued to influence the Catholic world for many years after his death. Upon learning of his incurable illness, Pope John XXIII veiled in preparation his follower, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini, who became the new Pope after John, completed the Second Council and continued the good deeds of his teacher.

Famous European political scientists, including S. Huntington, also emphasized the role of the church in the development of society in the twentieth century. Especially on the function that Pope John XXIII played in this process, the results of the activities of this great pontiff also found reflection in the development of democracy throughout the world.

The pope issued his 8 special papal documents (encyclical) for his short "career" on the Catholic throne. In them he expressed a new view of the Catholic Church on the role of pastor in modern society, on motherhood, peace, progress. November 11, 1961 he issued the encyclical "Eternal Divine Wisdom", where he expressed his positive view of us ecumenism - the ideology of Christian unity. He appealed to the Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians "brothers".

The attitude of Pope Giovanni XXIII to socialism

Even John XXIII was called "Pope of the World" or "Red Pope" because of his tolerant attitude towards the countries of the socialist camp and his desire to introduce a kind of "religious socialism". He stressed that the good of all peoples should be based on the rights, wills and duties of each person, but be regulated by moral and ecclesiastical norms. The shepherd pointed out that the principles of mutual aid and humanism should be based on the basis of solving the problems of society. He also spoke for freedom of choice of professions, for equal opportunities for self-realization for representatives of all countries.

It should be noted that the materialistic and then communist views have always been rejected by the Catholic Church as heretical. Pope John XXIII showed unprecedented wisdom by maintaining diplomatic relations with Cuba, the Soviet Union, as the legitimate ruler of the Vatican. At the same time, he stressed that in no case he accepts atheistic views and remains only a true Catholic and "servant of God." But at the same time it respects the national views of all the world's inhabitants. And he emphasizes the role of mutual respect and tolerance in conflict prevention and a warrior.

In his festive speeches John XXIII called the world the greatest and most precious good on earth. In his reign, the Vatican ceased to be a totalitarian, cemented, loyal to the dead tradition organization, and turned into an authoritative church institution, impregnated with the spirit of super-neutrality.

On April 11, 1963 the pontiff published the encyclical "Peace on Earth", where he paid special attention to social issues, called for the necessity of a dialogue between socialists and capitalists and emphasized that there are no ideological contradictions that can not be solved if we act in the name of peace and justice.

Opponents of the policy of the pontiff John XXIII

It was assumed that the opponents of John XXIII Baden and can not make it, because when he was elected, the papal chancellery soberly assessed his age and health. Add to this his political neutrality and widespread tolerance. He was perceived as an elderly rural padre from a poor family, an eccentric old man, an uncomfortable good-natured. But, the cardinals on the conclave very much underestimated the firmness of his faith and enthusiasm for the creation of good deeds.

Initiatives, the pontiff's encyclicals were more favorably received by the churches of the Catholic countries of the "third world", but the Roman and Vatican cardinals took many reforms, to put it mildly, unfavorably.

More is due to the fact that the church institution has always been "tightly reformed." And besides, Pope John XXIII initiated the abolition of many church honors and, as it were, "lowered" the authority of the Catholic clergymen. Most of the protests were voiced by Vatican ministers, the sacred office.

Death of the pope, canonization, attribution to the saints

On June 3, 1963, Pope John XXIII passed away. The body of the pontiff was immediately embalmed at the Catholic University of the Heart of Jesus by Gennaro Golia and buried in the grottoes of St. Peter's Cathedral.

Today the remains of the padre are stored in a crystal coffin in the basilica of St. Peter's in Rome. In 2000, Pope John Paul II ranked his glorious predecessor to the face of the blessed, and in 2014 they were both listed as saints. The Catholic Church honors the memory of Pope Giovanni XXIII, a holiday in his honor on 11 October.

A film about Pope John XXIII

In due measure, thanks to the legendary Pope Giovanni XXIII for his contribution to the development of faith, peace and good everyone can, if he hears his advice, take a few steps towards self-development and philanthropy. But from the wide-ranging ways to thank the pontiff for his services, you can call the film "John XXIII: The Pope of the World." The film of 2002 tells of Giuseppe Roncalli, including his childhood in Bergamo, his studies, church career and activities on the papal throne. This wonderful atmospheric Italian film directed by Giorgio Capitani talently reflects the temperament of the pope, his faithfulness to the ideals of youth, personal freedom, mutual assistance, tolerance and tolerance.