Assess the impact that Pope John XXIII had on Christianity

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Apart from himself, John XXIII never neglected a thing. It was this selflessness; love and compassion that saw John XXIII become one of the most significant and influential Popes in the history of Christianity. His sweeping reforms through the Vatican II Council and numerous Papal encyclicals created and published under John, had profound ramifications for the Catholic Church, and Christianity alike. His work with ecumenism and interfaith dialogue instilled a greater sense of unification within the Christian Church, and highlighted common ground with other religions, strengthening interfaith ties. It is because of the achievements of John XXIII while pontiff that he is seen as one of the greatest Popes to have sat in the chair of Peter. Pope John XXIII harked from humble beginnings, being baptised as Angelo Roncalli in a small town in Italy. From a young age he possessed a passion for the Christian religion, feeling a strong calling from God. Following this calling, he entered a seminary at age twelve. During World War One, he served in the armed forces, experiencing the atrocities of war, kindling Angelos passion for his ultimate goal of world harmony and unification. After working for twenty-five years as a Papal Diplomat, he became a Cardinal and appointed Patriarch of Venice. Following the death of Pope Pius XII, Roncalli was appointed Pope, with the intention of him being a transitional Pope, due to his old age. It was expected that Angelo would change little, maintaining the traditions of the church. Instead, he went on to become one of the greatest reformers of the Christian faith through his search for unity. John XXIII held the dream to throw open the windows of the church, and he strived to achieve this through his 1962 Vatican II Council. His council, only the second in the history of the church, brought together Bishops from around the world to discuss issues and work together to bring reform to the traditionalist Catholic Church and the wider Christian community. The Canon of the Mass was changed to have Mass spoken in the vernacular, or language of the people, affording the laity a better understanding of the mystery of the mass. The priest also now faced the congregation, allowing parishioners to better connect with clergymen. John shifted the focus of Christianity back to the Bible, drawing religion back to the ideals of Jesus. The Council also saw greater emphasis placed on ecumenism and interfaith dialogue. These changes had a drastic effect on the Christian faith, creating a more fostering church where the laity could better connect to the mass through vernacularisation. Lay people now had an active role in their faith and Christianity became united under the common Bible. John XXIIIs Council allowed Christianity to become a dynamic, living religion. In the role of Pontiff, John XXIII released many Papal Encyclicals including Mater et Magistra, meaning Mother and Teacher. This encyclical was promulgated in May 1961, and outlined the Christian stance on moral order and political issues facing the sixties, such as the rise in Communism. Mater et Magistra was addressed to all Christians allowing the teachings of the Pope to resonate with the whole Christian community, rather than simply Catholics. Mater et Magistra aimed to address the restoration of social relationships based on truth, love and justice, and focused on the responsibility of wealthier nations to help poorer nations. It stated to destroy or squander goods that other people need in order to live is to offend against justice and humanity, highlighting the responsibility of Christians to care for their fellow humans. Mater et Magistra made clear the Churchs desire to be a peacemaker within the world, and through addressing all Christians, united all denominations under a humanitarian banner, moulding Christianity into one movement for good, brought together under Christian ideals.

Pacem in Terris, meaning peace of Earth, is another of Johns Papal Encyclicals, promulgated in April 1963. Pacem in Terris was in response to the Cold War between America and Russia, and stated that conflicts should not be resolved through arms but rather through negotiations. The document expressed the view that the common good is chiefly guaranteed when personal rights and duties are maintained, emphasising the Christian focus on human rights. It also emphasised the importance of greater relations between nations in order to maintain communication and peace. This encyclical ensured the Christian population that peace is possible to achive through the divinely established order, and presented a united Christian humanitarian stance to the world. This further worked to unite Christian under common ideals. During his time in office, John XXIII inspired many key documents, still widely used today. One of these documents is the Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy. This document reflected how Christians are encouraged to fully live out their faith through participation in the sacraments. This document was essential as many adherents had lost, and continue to lose their sense of connection to the sacraments, and do not understand their importance. The writings of John XXIII worked to instil the vitality of the sacraments into adherents, encouraging them to participate in order to enable them to gain a better sense of faith and community. This document is still used today as a source for believers involved in preparing liturgies. Another document stimulated by John XXIIIs Vatican II Council was the Declaration of Religious Freedom. This expressed the Churchs view on the dignity of human beings, and stated that everyone should be free from oppression and persecution due to religious adherence or beliefs. This reinforced a sense of equality of faith and how people should feel comfortable expressing their faith. This opened many doors to ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, with Pope John XXIII throwing open the windows of the church, meeting with Jewish Rabbis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, inviting them to the Vatican to strengthen ties. This led to clearer connections between faiths, adapted Christian teachings to suit the 20th century time period, and instilled a greater sense of unity in the Christian Church. Although Pope John XXIII made many reforms, which brought the Church into modernity, his rule also caused much controversy within members of the Catholic Church. He challenged his appointing as a transitional Pope, making many changes that some Cardinals and traditionalists did not agree with. They believed he was moving away from the traditions of Catholicism and Christianity that had been in place for the life of the Church. His changes to the Canon of the Mass were met with much resistance, as many believed he was ruining the mystery of the Church through vernacularisation, modernisation, and simplification. Despite this resistance, John XXIII still had the conviction to better the Church. This is an indicator of his dedication to faith and his desire to help Christians. Throughout his time as Pontiff, John XXIII had a profound impact upon Christianity in his work to cultivate a garden of his faith, bringing the church into modernity, and affording lay people a greater role in their faith. His greatest achievements of the vernacularisation of the Mass allowed Catholics to better understand their faith. Through his Papal Encyclicals, he clearly defined the Vatican and the Christian stance on modern issues, and united Christianity under a humanitarian cause, working for the betterment of the poor and underprivileged. Through his work in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, John brought Christianity closer to the other religions of the book, Pope John XXIII is honoured as a renewer of Christianity, moving it from stagnancy to dynamism.
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