Saint John XXIII and his speech of the moon

(Vatican Radio) Veronica Scarisbrick brings you echoes from the era of the pontificate of Saint John XXIII, the twentieth century Pope to inaugurate a less formal way of public speaking than was the custom at the time.

The story begins fifty years ago on the 11th of October 1962, at the end of the day marking the opening of the Second Vatican Council when  John XXIII appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace. According to his secretary, now Cardinal Loris Capovilla he had not planned to appear but when he noticed the huge expectant crowds gathered below in Saint Peter's Square he felt obliged to respond. 

And with his impromptu speech on that historic day, known as of the moon : 'Il discorso della luna'  broke new ground in terms of linguistic spontaneity on the part of a Roman Pontiff.

Listen to  a programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick: