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Learn about the life and achievements of Angelo Roncalli, who became Pope John XXIII in 1958 and initiated the Second Vatican Council. Discover his pastoral vision, his social encyclicals, his ecumenical efforts, and his contribution to world peace.
- Biographical Profile of His Holiness Pope John XXIII - Vatican
Following the death of Pius XII, he was elected Pope on 28...
- Pope John XXIII - Vatican
At the death of Pius XII he was elected Pope on 28 October...
- Biographical Profile of His Holiness Pope John XXIII - Vatican
Pope John XXIII (Latin: Ioannes XXIII; Italian: Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, Italian: [ˈandʒelo dʒuˈzɛppe roŋˈkalli]; 25 November 1881 – 3 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 1963.
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- Early life and career
Saint John XXIII (born November 25, 1881, Sotto il Monte, Italy—died June 3, 1963, Rome; beatified September 3, 2000canonized April 27, 2014; feast day October 11) one of the most popular popes of all time (reigned 1958–63), who inaugurated a new era in the history of the Roman Catholic Church by his openness to change (aggiornamento), shown especi...
Angelo was one of 13 children born to Giovanni Roncalli, a tenant farmer of Sotto il Monte, a tiny village 7 miles (11 km) from the Lombard city of Bergamo. The Roncallis were poor but not nearly as destitute as some later legends would have it. “We had the necessities of life,” the pope used to say testily, “and we were strong and healthy.” Though Angelo, the third child and oldest son of the family, went off to prepare for the priesthood as a child of 11, he continued to spend vacations with his family and remained close to them throughout his life.
No matter how powerful he became, however, he never helped any of the other Roncallis to advance in the world. “The world is only interested in making money…,” he wrote to his brother Xaverio after becoming pope. “A great honour has come to our family,” he acknowledged, but he urged Xaverio and the others to remain humble, seek no honours or preferments, and take no material advantage of their relationship to the pope. “At my own death,” he concluded, “I shall not be denied the praise which did so much honour to the holiness of Pius X: born poor, he died poor.” In his last will he bequeathed each of the living members of the family a legacy of less than $20—his total personal fortune.
Angelo the churchman, however, was destined to spend most of his life among the powerful and cultivated. Inevitably, that set him apart from the other Roncallis almost from the beginning. While still a seminarian, he was already beginning to feel out of place in Sotto il Monte, where he was charged with priggishness and “putting on airs.” “Only three days of the holidays have passed and already I am weary of them,” he recorded in the diary that he allowed to be published after his death. He was eager, he wrote, to return to Bergamo, with its orderly life of study, prayer, and genteel fellowship, and to escape from the petty gossip, suspicion, and jealousies of the village.
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Roncalli was not an especially brilliant student. He did well enough, however, to be sent to Rome for theological studies in 1900. After only one year at the Seminario Romano, his education was interrupted when he was drafted into military service and assigned to an infantry company conveniently stationed at Bergamo. Later, as a priest, he returned to the army during World War I. Again he served in Bergamo, first as a hospital orderly and later as a military chaplain with the rank of lieutenant.
Learn about the life and legacy of Blessed John XXIII, the pope who convened the Second Vatican Council. The USCCB General Secretariat offers a brief biography, quotes, and resources on his humble beginnings and lasting impact.
Pope John XXIII (25 November 1881 – 3 June 1963) and Pope John Paul II (18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) reigned as popes of the Roman Catholic Church and the sovereigns of Vatican City (respectively from 1958 to 1963 and 1978 to 2005). Their canonizations were held on 27 April 2014.
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