PopePope SaintSaint JohnJohn XXIIIXXIII Feast day - 11th October

Pope John XXIII When Saint John XXIII (23rd) was born, in 1881, his name was Angelo Guiseppe Roncalli. He lived in a village called ‘Sotto il Monto” (under the mountain) near , in Northern . He was the fourth of fifteen children in a family of farmers, but he did not become a farmer like his father. Instead, in 1904 he was ordained as a priest.

After working in several countries, in 1953 he became a Cardinal and was given the important post of of . In 1958, when he was aged 76, he was elected as the new Pope. Some people were surprised that an old man had been chosen. The new Pope chose the name of ‘John XXIII’ – the first pope for more than 500 years to choose this name.

Some people thought Pope John, as an old man, would not do many new things. So it was a big surprise when he called a large and important meeting for all the Cardinals of the world. This meeting was called the and it lasted from 1962 to 1965. During the meeting, Pope John made many speeches full of passion. In the evening of the first day of the Council, speaking to crowds outside St Peter’s Basilica in the centre of , Pope John told the people: “When you head home, find your children. Hug and kiss your children and tell them ‘This is the hug and kiss of the Pope’.” The Second Vatican Council introduced changes to the Church: a new Mass in the local language (rather than ), a new view of (Christians of other denominations), and a new approach to the world.

Sadly, Saint Pope John XXIII died before the end of the Second Vatican Council – the important meeting that he had called together. However, just before he died, he wrote a famous letter to the Church (an encyclical) called ‘’ (Peace on Earth). Pope John was buried under St Peter’s Basilica and, in the year 2013 declared him to be a saint. Saint Pope John XXIII’s feast day is not kept on the day of his birth, or death, but on the day when the Second Vatican Council opened – October 11th.