The end of World War II turned Roncalli's career around. The papal nuncio to France, Valerio Valeri, had collaborated with the Vichy government, and De Gaulle insisted that Valeri must go. He was appointed nuncio to France in time to give the New Year's greeting of 1945. In 1953 Roncalli was made a cardinal and appointed patriarch of Venice. It curbs wholesome initiative, mistakes hardness for firmness, inflexibility for dignity.
Paternalism is a caricature of true fatherliness.
It is often accompanied by an unjustifiable proprietary attitude to one's victim, a habit of intruding, a lack of proper respect for the rights of subordinates. Many believed that John had been elected as a papa di passagio , a transitional pope. He was seventy-seven years old. This is why his career had been ruined thirty years before. Though everyone said they wanted peace and harmony, unfortunately conflicts grew more acute and threats multiplied.