Pope John XXIII was elected, as some have held, as a transitional pope, one that would smile, nod, and not do much, a calm papacy after the lengthy papacy of Pius XII. It is rather naïve to think that anyone elected to the papacy would sit back and enjoy the view, nor the idea that the world in 1959 required someone who would be simply reside in a caretaker position. The cardinals understood that the work of the modern papacy which began with Leo XIII and continued with the insightful and important encyclicals of Pius XII required a pope who would continue this work. Some argue that the Second Vatican council can be visualized by fresh growth, others by ripe fruit on a mature tree. Certainly, the fact that the extensive use of sources from the pontificates of Pius XII and Leo XIII would argue for the later image. What one thinks of Pope John XIII may vary, but he was a man of great humility. Likewise, he was a great follower of Jesuit spirituality. His biography, Journey of a Soul, which describes his desire “to grow in holiness” begins with a summary of the rule of the Marian Sodality established by the Jesuits. His death bed words provide some encouragement that a good family life does bear fruit:
I had the great grace to be born into a Christian family, modest and poor, but with the fear of the Lord. My time on earth is drawing to a close. But Christ lives on and continues his work in the Church.
Nourished by Ignatian spirituality from his youth, he perhaps recalled a meditation on death from theSpiritual Exercises during his instillation. Part of this instillation involved the pontiff throwing straw on a flaming bed of coals three different times. And while the straw quickly burns the master of ceremonies proclaims to the pope: Sic transit gloria mundi –and so goes the glory of the world. John XXIII kept his simplicity and his eyes on the prize. It is interesting to note that the church recognizes his memorial, not on the anniversary of his death, which was June 3, but rather on October 11, the opening of the Second Vatican Council