Evening star., 1962-09-26
COUNCIL
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- ee7@A~AE VIZ . AAA0AATIs " 0AAALAAf
gambling and farming. Ny
father chose the most boring
way Of the three. He became
q farmer"
The future Pope early showed
promise as q student and, to
the brief disappointment of his
father, who hoped he would be
a doctor or lawyer. equally early
decided to be q priest. His
initial years as a priest were
Interrupted during world
War I when he was drafted
into the Italian army and
ordered to serve as a sergeant
IN the medical corps. He was
later appointed a chaplain.
with a heutenant's commission.
This experience provided q
light interlude shortly after he
became Pope. At q meeting with
Italian bishops, John XXIII
came to the Chaplain-in-C Chief
Of the Italian armies. I'm
mediately, the Pontiff snapped
into military position. saluted
and said, "Sergt. Roncalli re-
porting, General"
These outgoing Characters
tics proved tremendous assets
throughout his diplomatic mis-
sions as archbishop and cardi-
nal In Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece
and France. Dr.. Paul c. Per-
rotta, In his biography Of
John XXIII, observed: This
farm boy who had never gone
to diplomatic school, who never
dreamed Of making diplomacy
his career, by applying to the
task the simple triple combina-
ton Of honest loyalty to ones
chief, indefatigable industry,
and plain common sense, was
able to serve the cause Of the
church and Of Christian cul-
ture very advantageously."
Shortly after being named
a cardinal in 1858, Roncalli was
appointed Patriarch Of Venice
by Plus XII. He rejoiced, say
ing: Here I have q chance to
be entirely q pastor. Everyone
says I am q diplomat. The
church's only diplomacy is that
of the priesthood"
"POOr Mans Priest"
He became the Peoples
Patriarch, and his actions in
this role, many believe, had a
great deal to do with his elec-
ton as Pope. Venice soon came
to know the Patriarch VIII Q
stopped for q chat In the cafes,
bantered with gondoliers, held
long talks with unimportant
people. When the conclave fol-
loving the death Of Plus XII
needed q compromise candidate
to break the deadlock between
conservatives and liberals
Cardinal Roncalli was advanced
as o neutral. Further, @ great
aristocratic Pope had died and
O change seemed wise. TIL q
Patriarch Of Venice was known
as "a poor mans priest" and
in q world where communism
sought the lowly and laborine
class, his selection would as
sure them the church was their
refuge.
The personalities Of Plus TX
and John xXIn asserted them
selves in the ways they decided
to call the ecumenical councils
Plus had the idea in mind
for many years. In 1854, he
finally placed the proposal Sc
fore cardinals living in Rome
When q majority favored the
idea, the Pope delayed q few
months before setting up a
commission to study the
project.
AS we have seen, the thought
burst suddenly upon John. He
told Domenico Cardinal Tar
dini, the late Papal Secretary
of State, about 1t, received the
latter's immediate and ex-
ultant" agreement, and went
right ahead.
Storm clouds, though Of diff
ferent kinds, overhung the calls
The lengthening dark shadow
of the impending Franco-Prus-
sian War was present when
Plus TX issued his bull, "Aeterni
Patris," on June 20, 1868, con-
voking Vatican I. BY the time
the bishops gathered on Decem-
ber 8, 1869, in Rome. the
ominous portents had become
grimmer, and the following year
war started.
Rome Captured
The conflict had grave re-
suits for the council and the
church. Napoleon III withdrew
his troops, the protection until
then of the Pope, from Italy.
Soon afterward, the Piedmont
King Victor Emmanuel. team
ing with Cavour to make q
united Italy, invaded the Papal
States and captured Rome on
September 20. 1870. A month
later, Plus TX suspended the
council, which never resumed
its work.
AS a result. the Pope re-
treated to the Vatican for the
remainder Of his life, regarding
himself as "a prisoner of the
Italian government" Not until
SO years later, when the
Lateran Treaty Of February IL,
1929. was signed, did o Pope
leave the small area Of the
Vatican.
While war does not appear
imminent, Richard Cardinal
Cushing Of Boston pointed out
Vatican II comes at 9 moment
"in human history which is
fraught with a special peril. :.
For the first time in human
history, an organized world
movement against God has not
merely been set In motion, but
has made half the world its
prisoner. The spectre OF
communism does not now
merely haunt the world, but in