Lentorama 2010 Extra: Two Millennia of Pointy Hats

Day 41: John XXIII (1958-63)

John's election as pope was a bit of surprise, at least to him. He arrived at the conclave with a return train ticket to Venice. His choice of John as a name surprised many, as no pope had used the name for 500 years after the last man to use it was widely considered an antipope (a status John confirmed).

John was intended to be a short-term pope serving in the wake of the 19 year pontificate of Pius XII. But John quickly proved that he was going to make his mark when he called the Second Vatican Council. Detailing the impact of this council is beyond the scope of this post; suffice it to say that the Council opened up most aspects of the church to increase participation of and understanding by the laity. Its findings, and the spirit in which they would be implemented, led to a great struggle that continues today between liberalizing forces who want to use Vatican II to strip the church of many of its authoritarian trappings, and reactionary forces who see Vatican II as a threat to orthodoxy and the primary teachings of the church (most notable in this camp are John Paul II and Benedict XVI). This is a trite summation of Vatican II and its aftermath, admittedly.

John's term of office would be cut short when he lost his battle with stomach cancer. His positive nature and obvious concern for average Catholics led to his being called Good Pope John, though as of 2000 he is also the Blessed Pope John, as he was elevated to this last stop before sainthood.