Pope John Xxiii – The Pope Who Changed The Catholic Church
Pope John XXIII became pope in 1958, and is known as the Pope who changed the entire image of the Catholic Church. Pope John had one vision, calling for a Vatican Council in order to bring the Catholic Church up with the modern date. Pope John portrayed the will of God through his modernising changes to the church, which included changes to the vernacular of the Church. Pope John was not “conformed to the standards” of the Church, but rather transformed the Church with a “complete change of mind” to make it more accessible to the general public and spike interest in the Church.
Pope John XXIII portrayed the will of God throughout his whole life time, even before he was anointed as Pope. In 1950, he visited the French territories in North Africa, travelling over 38,000 miles. In doing so, Pope John XXIII expressed God’s will to spread the word throughout his people, as declared in Psalms 96:3 “Declare his glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples”. He was then posted to Venice as cardinal, where he raised up 30 parishes, yet again portraying God’s will to “Encourage one another and build up one another”. Pope John portrayed the will of God through his expression of God and his faith throughout his treks to Africa, whilst also expanding God’s voice through the creation of new parishes and Christian communities.
In WWII, John was mainly responsible in protecting the people of Athens from shelling by the Germans by having it declared as an open city, as Rome was. He also upheld God’s will of “Giving justice to the weak” and “Rescuing the week and needy” (Psalms 82:3-4) by smuggling Jews during Nazi searches, whilst also persuading the British to not consider Greece in their embargo of the Greek coast, which saved the Greek population from starvation.
Pope John XXIII, once appointed as Pope, had a vision to renew the church. He convoked an Ecumenical council known as Vatican II, in order to apply a Spirit of Aggiornamento to the outdated Church. The Second Vatican Council brought up key ideas including that Catholic faith should be kept and taught, however it must be taught in the language of the modern man in order to appeal to all people. Consequently, church was permitted to be conducted in the local vernacular, in order to make it accessible to all, whilst the Bible was now able to be read by all followers, in order to allow adherents to receive a deeper understanding of the faith. These significant changes to the church reflected God’s will to spread faith, as was done with the Holy Spirit. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them”. Hence, by vernacularising the practice of church in order to make it accessible to all, Pope John has performed the “will of God.. and what is pleasing to him”.
Pope John XXIII portrays God’s will of the equal and fair treatment of others through his contribution to the second Vatican council. Sixteen documents were drawn up that were faithful to the Catholic tradition and applicable to the context of the times. In the 15th document, Nostra Aetate – Declaration on the Relation of the Church to non-Christian religions, it is explicitly stated that “The Church reproves any discrimination of men or harassment of them because of their race, colour, or religion”. The document encourages inter-religious conditions, removing the blame of Jesus’ death from the Jews, whilst also providing similarities between religions such as Islam which believe in the one God, encouraging Christian followers to move on from pasts that were filled with tension. This promotes God’s golden rule and belief to “Do to others as you would have them do to you”, by encouraging the Church to befriend other religions, and to not let their differences overcome their similarities.
Pope John’s Mater et Magistra portrayed the will of God by fulfilling the goal that God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”. This encyclical adovated for social reform and assistance to underdeveloped countries, providing a living wage for all workers, an education and support for socialist measures that promised better conditions for society. It mentioned the importance of the family values of truth, justice, charity and freedom, setting out guidelines for those to live in peace and preserves the divinity of life. It was a major pressure for peaceful coexistence between the West and the communist east, and portrayed the “will of God” by fulfilling the Golden rule, whilst preserving God’s sacred life.
Pope John XXIII demonstrated God’s will by “transforming the church inwardly with a complete change of mind”, in order to make the Church more accessible to all, spreading God’s word through many tongues. Pope John’s 16 documents created through the second Vatican council are important in promoting peace between different religons, whilst also promoting God’s will through preserving God’s creation. In doing so, Pope John has done what “is good and pleasing to Him”.
