Saint John XXIII, whose real name was Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli and who was known as ‘The Good Pope’ (Il Papa Buono), was the 261st Pope of the Catholic Church. Although his pontificate lasted less than five years, it changed the modern history of the Church forever, particularly through the convening of the Second Vatican Council.
1. Childhood and Youth
● Birth: He was born on November 25th 1881 in the village of Sotto il Monte in the Italian province of Bergamo.
● Background: He came from a poor farming family and was the third of thirteen children. From an early age, he learnt the value of hard work, modesty and deep faith.
● Education: Thanks to the support of a local priest and a church scholarship, he entered the seminary in Bergamo and later continued his studies in theology at the Pontifical Seminary in Rome.
2. Priestly and Diplomatic Career
● Ordination: He was ordained a priest on August 10th 1904.
● Service in the Church: He served as personal secretary to Bishop Radini Tedeschi of Bergamo and taught Church history.
● Vatican diplomacy: During the First World War, he served in the Italian army as a medic and later as a military chaplain. In 1925, Pope Pius XI appointed him Apostolic Visitor to Bulgaria; he later served in Turkey and Greece.
● Saving lives: During the Second World War in Istanbul, he actively helped to save thousands of Jews by providing them with false baptismal certificates and immigration visas.
● Papal Nuncio in Paris (1944): He helped to stabilise the post-war political situation in France, and in 1953 Pius XII appointed him Patriarch of Venice and a cardinal.
3. Pontificate (1958–1963)
● Election: He was elected Pope on October 28th 1958 at the age of 76. Initially, many regarded him as a ‘pope of transition’, but his pontificate brought about a tremendous spiritual renewal.
● The Second Vatican Council: On January 25th 1959, he unexpectedly announced the convening of the Second Vatican Council. Its aim was to bring about the so-called aggiornamento (the modernisation and opening up of the Church to the modern world) and to deepen ecumenical dialogue.
● Social encyclicals: He issued significant social encyclicals, including *Mater et Magistra* (Mother and Teacher, 1961) and *Pacem in terris* (Peace on Earth, 1963), in which he addressed issues of human rights, justice and world peace.
● The Cuban Missile Crisis: He played an important role in promoting peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when his public appeal helped to ease tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union.
4. Death, beatification and canonisation
● Death: He died on June 3rd 1963 of stomach cancer, surrounded by the prayers of the whole world.
● Beatification: Pope John Paul II declared him Blessed on September 3rd 2000.
● Canonization: Pope Francis canonized him on  April 27th 2014 (together with John Paul II). His feast day in the liturgical calendar is celebrated on October 11th, the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.
 

Quotes and Thoughts
A selection of well-known and inspiring quotes from Saint John XXIII, which reflect his kindness, humility, sense of humour and deep faith:
“Never be sad, for a Christian cannot be anything other than a witness to joy.”
“A person is as old as their belief in their own ideas and ideals.”
“Do not take yourselves too seriously.” (A well-known piece of advice from the seven rules in his diary, *Spiritual Diary*).
“Everything depends on God. As for us, we must make every effort as if everything depended on us, and then leave everything to God.”
“It doesn’t matter whether a person is on the right or the left. What matters is that they walk straight.”
“Do not say: ‘Why are those days gone by better than these?’ For you are not asking wisely.”
“First we must look at what unites us, and only then at what might divide us.”
“We should be able to see the reflection of God’s image on every person’s face.”

Daily Guidelines for the Soul
or the ‘Spiritual Decalogue’, were compiled by Saint John XXIII for his own personal spiritual growth and peace of mind:
1. Just for today
“Just for today, I will try to live this day without trying to solve the problems of my whole life at once.”
2. Mindfulness of behaviour
“Just for today, I will pay close attention to my behaviour: I will be courteous to others; I will not criticise anyone; I will not try to correct or organise anyone – only myself.”
3. Joy
“Just for today, I will be happy in the belief that I was created for happiness – not only for the next world, but for this one as well.”
4. Adaptability
“Just for today, I will adapt to circumstances without demanding that everything conform to my own wishes.”
5. Reading
“Just for today, I shall devote ten minutes to good reading; I shall not forget that just as food is necessary for the life of the body, so good reading is essential for the life of the soul.”
6. A Good Deed
“Just for today, I shall do one good deed and tell nobody about it.”
7. Overcoming Fears
“Just for today, I will do something I would rather not do; and if something offends me in my heart, I will make sure nobody finds out.”
8. Schedule
“Just for today, I will draw up a detailed schedule. I may not manage to stick to it all, but I will follow it and avoid the evils of haste and indecision.”
9. Trust in God
“Just for today, I will firmly believe – even if circumstances suggest otherwise – that God is looking after me as if there were no one else in the world.”
10. Without Fear
“Just for today, I will not be afraid. In particular, I will not be afraid to take joy in what is beautiful and to believe in goodness.”
“Never be sad, for a Christian cannot be anything other than a witness to joy.”
​
Saint John XXIII was known not only for his profound humility and kindness, but also for his tremendous sense of humour, perspective and wit.
Here are some of his best-known and most charming anecdotes and jokes, which reveal his human side:
1. ‘The Pope’s Night-time Job’
When a journalist once asked him the classic question during an interview: ‘Holy Father, how many people actually work in the Vatican?’, John XXIII looked at him with a smile and replied: ‘Well, about half.’ (In this humorous way, he was alluding to the fact that not everyone in the Vatican is always fully occupied.)
2. The first sleepless night
Immediately after his election as Pope in 1958, Cardinal Roncalli experienced immense inner tension and concern for the whole Church. He could not fall asleep until late at night and lamented in his room: ‘Lord God, this situation is terrible; the burden is too heavy. How on earth am I going to manage all this?” At that moment, it was as if an inner voice had enlightened him: “Angelo, don’t take yourself so seriously!” The Pope relaxed at that moment, saying to himself: “You’re right, Lord, it is your Church, not mine,” and he slept peacefully until morning.
3. The question of staff numbers
When a certain foreigner once asked him how many people actually worked in the Apostolic Palace, the Pope replied with a serious expression: ‘About a thousand.’ When the foreigner asked in surprise whether they were all actually working, John XXIII replied: ‘Well, roughly about half.’ ” (He would occasionally repeat this favourite anecdote of his with a smile, in various variations).
4. A quick reply to a question about age
During one audience, an elderly lady asked the Pope anxiously: “Holy Father, with such a huge number of duties, you must have a terrible headache… how many hours do you actually sleep at night?’ John XXIII smiled and replied: ‘You know, my dear, I sleep exactly as many hours as I want – because I don’t sleep at all during the night.’
5. ‘The Good Pope’ and his charm
When he was once described by journalists as a ‘revolutionary’ Pope who turns everything upside down,
he smiled and said something that perfectly captured his character: ‘The best way to
solve a problem is sometimes to leave it so that someone else can solve it – for example, the Lord God.’
“Everything can be seen in a different light when we look at it with a smile.” – St John XXIII.