Pope John XXIII was elected to the Papacy on October 28th 1958. He was the 261st Pope of the Catholic Church. At the time of his election he was widely regarded as a transitional pope. However less than three months after the start of his Papacy he announced the Second Vatican Council and ushered in a new era for the Roman Catholic Church. He became one of the most popular popes of all time.
Pope John XXIII was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in Sotto il Monte, Bergamo, Italy on November 25th 1881. He was ordained a priest in 1904. He served in several different roles, including as papal delegate to Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. He also served as papal nuncio in France. In 1953 he was raised to the rank of Cardinal and appointed Patriarch of Venice. He was elected to the papacy in 1958 and served as Pope for just over four years. He was canonised by Pope Francis in 2014
Pope John XXIII, who is known as the ‘Good Pope’ died in the year 1963 On This Day.
Pope John XXIII