St john xxiii biography for children pictures

Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was one of thirteen children born to Marianna Mazzola and Giovanni Battista Roncalli in a family of sharecroppers who lived in Sotto il Monte, a village in the province of Bergamo , Lombardy. He was ordained to the priesthood on 10 August and served in a number of posts, as nuncio in France and a delegate to Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.

Roncalli was unexpectedly elected pope on 28 October at age 76 after 11 ballots. His views on equality were summed up in his statement, "We were all made in God's image, and thus, we are all Godly alike.

What did pope john xxiii do

In Italian politics, he prohibited bishops from interfering with local elections, and he helped the Christian Democracy party to cooperate with the Italian Socialist Party. In international affairs, his "Ostpolitik" engaged in dialogue with the communist countries of Eastern Europe. He especially reached out to the Eastern Orthodox churches. His overall goal was to modernize the Church by emphasizing its pastoral role, and its necessary involvement with affairs of state.

He dropped the traditional rule of 70 cardinals, increasing the size to He used the opportunity to name the first cardinals from Africa, Japan, and the Philippines. He promoted ecumenical movements in cooperation with other Christian faiths.