Pope Francis: Blessed John XXIII shining example of faith
(Vatican Radio) To mark the 50th anniversary of the passing away of Blessed John XXIII
on June 2, 2013 Pope Francis recalled how this twentieth century pope was both a
pastor and a shepherd as well as a shining example of faith and virtue for a whole
generation of Christians.
Remarks he made in his address to a group of pilgrims
from the Italian diocese of Bergamo where Pope John came. Words you can read below
in a Vatican Radio translation:
Dear friends of the Diocese of Bergamo,
I
am pleased to welcome you here, at the tomb of the Apostle Peter, in this place that
is home to every Catholic. I affectionately greet your Pastor, Bishop Francesco Beschi,
and thank him for the kind words he addressed to me on behalf of all.
Exactly
fifty years ago, just at this moment, Blessed John XXIII left this world. Those who,
like me, [are of] a certain age, retain a vivid memory of the commotion that spread
everywhere in those days: St. Peter’s Square had become a sanctuary in the open, day
and night welcoming the faithful of all ages and social conditions, in trepidation
and prayer for the Pope's health. The whole world had recognized in Pope John a pastor
and a father: a shepherd because [he was] father. What made him such? How could he
reach the hearts of so many different people, even many non-Christians? To answer
this question, we can refer to his episcopal motto, oboedientia et pax: obedience
and peace. “These words,” noted the then-Archbishop Roncalli on the eve of his episcopal
ordination, “are [in a way] my story and my life.” (Journal of a Soul, retreat in
preparation for consecration as bishop, 13-17 March 1925).
I would like to
begin from peace, because this is the most obvious aspect – that, which people perceived
in Pope John: Angelo Roncalli was a man who was able to communicate peace; a natural,
serene, friendly, peace; a peace that, with his election to the Pontificate, was manifested
to all the world and [came to be called his] ‘goodness’. This was undoubtedly a hallmark
of his personality, which enabled him to build strong friendships everywhere and in
particular that stood out in his ministry as Representative of the Pope, which he
carried out for nearly three decades, often in contact with environments and worlds
far removed from that Catholic universe in which he was born and formed. It was in
those environments that he proved an effective weaver of relationships and a good
promoter of unity, inside and outside the Church community, open to dialogue with
Christians of other Churches, with members of the Jewish and Muslim [traditions] and
with many other men of good will. In fact, Pope John conveyed peace because he had
a mind deeply at peace, the fruit of a long and challenging work on himself, an effort
that has left abundant traces in [his autobiography], Journal of a Soul. There we
can see the seminarian, the priest, the bishop Roncalli struggling with the path to
the gradual purification of the heart. We see him, day by day, careful to recognize
and mortify the desires that come from his own selfishness, careful to discern the
inspirations of the Lord, allowing himself to be guided by wise spiritual directors
and inspired by masters such as Saint Francis de Sales and St. Charles Borromeo. Reading
those writings, we truly see a soul taking shape, under the action of the Holy Spirit
working in His Church.
Here, then, we come to the second and decisive word:
“obedience.” If peace was the outward hallmark, obedience constituted for [Pope John]
the inner disposition: obedience, in fact, was the instrument with which to achieve
peace. Firstly, [obedience] meant to [Pope John] something very simple and concrete:
performing that service in the Church, which his superiors asked of him, without seeking
anything for himself, with no escape from anything that was required of him, even
when it meant leaving his homeland, dealing with worlds unknown to him, remaining
for many years in places where the presence of Catholics was very scarce. This willingness
to be led, like a child, built his priestly path, of which you are well aware: from
secretary of Bishop Radini Tedeschi and at the same time teacher and spiritual father
in the diocesan seminary; to [his service as] Papal Representative in Bulgaria, Turkey
and Greece, France; [his election as] Shepherd of the Venetian Church, and finally
as Bishop of Rome. Through this obedience, the priest and bishop Roncalli, however,
also lived a more profound faithfulness, which could be called, as he would say, abandonment
to Divine Providence. He always recognized, in faith, that through that path of life
apparently driven by others, led by their tastes or on the basis of their own spiritual
sensitivity, God was designing a project of His own.
Even more profoundly,
through this daily abandonment to the will of God, the future Pope John lived a purification,
which allowed him to detach himself completely from himself, and to adhere to Christ,
thus allowing the holiness to emerge, which the Church has [now] officially recognized.
Jesus tells us, “Whoever loses his life for me will save it. (Lk 9:24)” Here is the
true wellspring of Pope John’s, of the peace that he sowed throughout the world. Here
is the root of his holiness: in this, his evangelical obedience.
This, then,
is a lesson for all of us, and also for the Church of our time. If we let ourselves
be led by the Holy Spirit, if we mortify our selfishness to make room for the love
of the Lord and to His will, then we will find peace, then we will be builders of
peace and peace will spread around us. Fifty years after his death, the wise and fatherly
guidance of Pope John, his love for the Church’s tradition and awareness of the constant
need of renovation, the prophetic intuition of the convocation of the II Vatican Council
and the offering of his life for its success, remain as milestones in the history
of the Church of the twentieth century and as a beacon of light for the journey that
lies ahead.
Dear people of Bergamo, you are rightly proud of the “Good Pope”,
a shining example of faith and virtues for whole generations of Christians from your
land. Keep his spirit, continue to deepen the study of his life and his writings,
but above all, imitate his holiness. From heaven, may he continue to accompany with
love your Church, which he so loved in life, and may he obtain for her from the Lord
the gift of many holy priests, vocations to religious and missionary life, as well
as to family life and for lay commitment [to service] in the Church and in the world.
Thank you for your visit! I cordially bless you.