Pope John XXIII, at age 76, was elected the 261st pope and later went on to call the second Vatican council which forever changed the church. His role can be judged as highly instrumental in the creation of the church as we know it today. Through his political, doctrinal, social and moral significance he became respected around the world, recognised not only by followers of Christianity but also by presidents, kings, political leaders and common people the world over, creating a more ecumenical church.

 Pope John XXIII was greatly politically significant to the formation of the catholic church as we know it today. His efforts to create peace between religions and nations culminated in his issuing of his encyclical “Pacem in Terris” which focused on human rights, called for disarmament and called all world leaders to work together to create peace. These actions, along with the support of the common man (as revealed in his support of the strike of 800 textile workers) won him the respect of world leaders and the laity alike. He was awarded many honours including the Balzan prize for his engagement for peace, the U.S. posthumus presidential medal of freedom (this highest of u.s. awards was awarded to him in 1965 by U.S president Lyndon B. Johnson), and he was Time magazine’s man of the year in January 1965. during his reign as pope he attempted to create better relations between Catholics, Jews and Muslims. While advocating for peace he met with many leaders, such as the communist leader of Russia and during the Second Vatican Council he crated controversy by reaching out to Jews, Anglicans and other variants. It is for these reasons that he became known as the “good pope”.

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Pope John XXIII is most famous for his doctrinal significance, his calling of the Second Vatican council changed the church forever, creating the church that we know today. The Second Vatican council was called in 1962 and concluded after his death in 1965. the council addressed such issues as the focus of the church, the liturgy, the mass, the modernization of the church and the scripture among other things. Pope John XXIII felt that major changes needed to be made to make the church more accessible to the laity; he said that “we are born not to be museum ...

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