John XXIII
priest, bishop, cardinal, pope
Feast: 11 October (current Roman calendar, optional memorialb) · not in the 1962 Missal
Who they were
Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was born in Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo, on 25 November 1881, the fourth of thirteen children. Ordained a priest in Rome on 10 August 1904, he spent much of his life as a Vatican diplomat: in Bulgaria from 1925, in Turkey and Greece from 1934, and as nuncio in Paris from 1944.
Made a cardinal and Patriarch of Venice in 1953, he was elected Pope on 28 October 1958, aged 76. He called the Second Vatican Council and in 1963 wrote the encyclical Pacem in terris, on peace among all peoples. He died on the evening of 3 June 1963.
The miracles
Sister Caterina Capitani — Naples, Italy — 25 May 1966
A Daughter of Charity of St Vincent de Paul lay in the Navy hospital in Naples after fourteen operations had removed vital organs, and doctors had given up hope. On 25 May 1966, three years after Pope John's death, she said he appeared beside her bed and told her not to worry, that it was all over and she was well. She recovered. In April 1999 the Vatican's medical board voted unanimously that the healing had no scientific explanation.
Pope Francis canonised John XXIII without a second miracle. On 5 July 2013 he approved the cardinals' favourable vote on the canonisation and set it for the same day as John Paul II's. A pope may dispense with the second miracle, and Francis did so here.
Why that counted as sanctity
The case of Sister Caterina Capitani was examined by the Church's doctors and theologians and approved as a miracle, opening the way to beatification. Beatification followed on 3 September 2000 by John Paul II. Canonisation followed on 27 April 2014 by Francis.
Connected on this site
- Charles of Sezze Saint“A shepherd-boy friar whose humble work and adoration showed, as John XXIII said, that all are called to holiness.” — this site's research
- Lawrence of Brindisi Saint“John XXIII proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1959.” — this site's research
- Louise Marillac Saint“John XXIII proclaimed her patron of social works in 1960.” — this site's research
- Olinto Marella Saint“Marella was a classmate of Pope John XXIII in Rome and the pope held him in high esteem and supported his pastoral initiatives.” — Wikipedia
- Paul VI Saint“Succeeding John XXIII, he continued the Second Vatican Council, which he closed in 1965, implementing its numerous reforms.” — Wikipedia
- John Paul I Blessed“He was the first pontiff to have a double papal name, choosing "John Paul" in honour of his two immediate predecessors, John XXIII and Paul VI.” — Wikipedia
- Sandra Sabattini Blessed“A spiritual daughter of Don Oreste Benzi and member of his Pope John XXIII Community, she served people with disabilities and addictions, and was studying medicine hoping to go to Africa to care for the sick.” — this site's research
- Pius XII Venerable“In a consistory on 12 January 1953 Pope Pius XII made Roncalli a cardinal as the Cardinal-priest of Santa Prisca in addition to naming him as the Patriarch of Venice.” — Wikipedia
- Holy See - biography for the canonisation, 27 Apr 2014
- Holy See - homily of John Paul II at the beatification, 3 Sep 2000
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - 5 Jul 2013 (canonisation approved)
- Fondazione Papa Giovanni XXIII - the account of the healed sister
- Wikidata Q23873 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Pope John XXIII (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.