To understand the significance of Pope John XXIII’s influence on the Church, we must reflect on Holy Mass in the 1950’s, and before. A railing separated the altar from the congregation. For much of the Mass, the people didn’t see their priest’s face; he celebrated the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ facing an altar that stood against the wall. Prayers, were said in Latin, an ancient language dating back to the early Church; “Lord have mercy” translated to “Kyrie Eleison;” “Our Father, who art in Heaven” was “Pater Noster, qui es in caeli.” At Communion, the host, the Body of Christ, was placed directly on your tongue, only by a priest. All of these things establish distance between the Church and its members.

Pope St. John XXIII, the son of a tenant farmer, was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, on November 25, 1881 in Bergamo, Italy, near Milan. He was ordained a priest on August 10, 1904, and was given the great honor of celebrating his First Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican. During the hard times of WWI, Roncalli rose through the hierarchy of the Church, and became a member of the Vatican Diplomatic Corp, responsible for the Church’s missions throughout Europe.

In January, 1953, he received his red hat, the symbol of becoming a cardinal. After the death of Pope Pius XII, in 1958, on the twelfth ballot, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli became Pope John XXIII. He was an elderly compromise that all parties could live with until a “more dynamic” pope could be found. In the 1960’s, Pope John summoned the Bishops from all around the world to the council called Vatican II, bringing openness, tolerance, and love to the whole family of the Church.

Because of Vatican II, the railing is gone; the altar has been turned around so priests could face their congregation. Holy Mass is said in the language of the people of every country. Men and women now assist with distribution of the Blessed Sacrament, and individuals can receive it in their hands, putting it in their mouths themselves.

Pope John was expected to maintain the Church as it always was, but ended up changing the entire world.  During his time, he addressed the rights of women, the quest for a world without nuclear weapons, and the importance of bringing peace to the world through support for the United Nations. And humbly he spent his Christmases and Easters dining and praying with prisoners after he completed his official duties.

Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was born into a poor family; and he died poor. His living heirs each got less than $20 from his personal fortune. He never used his power to help his family. He wrote:

The world is only interested in making money. A great honour
has come to our family. At my own death, I shall not be denied
the praise which did so much honour to the holiness of Pius X:
born poor, he died poor.

But now Pope St. John XXIII, left a rich, lasting legacy behind him.