Meet John XXIII: Joyful Pope and Father to All Paperback – September 23, 2008

My fellow reviewers already said a lot about the great quality of this book, and about Pope John XXIII, a true saint of the Church. A very humble man, who was a great diplomat, a great teacher, but only viewed himself as a parish priest.The book, like all others from Patricia Treece, are amazingly researched. You have all the facts, and the sources to corroborate them. She is really a gift as an author. And when her talent and hard work find a gift as a subject, the work can only be outstanding.Pope John XXIII was a humble man, yes. This is probably what is most said about him. But he watched far. And he wasn't the naive, light-headed person as described by some. He served as a diplomat in some of the toughest places on earth, especially on his time. And he left a big impression wherever he went. He solved problems that other thought wouldn't be solvable. He saved hundreds from the Nazis, and opened the doors of countries that didn't like the church very much (and he is still cherished there).Finally, with all his experience and determination, he called the Second Vatican Council. And, with all its pros and some cons, it changed the face of the Church. All that from a man that didn't want anything for himself, never saw himself as much, and that many people thought was just a transitional pope, and just a naive priest.A fantastic pope, a saint, and a book that makes justice for such a man.

This book is not a definitive biography of John XXIII, but it is a revealing look, although brief, into an extremely poignant saintly person. To be honest, I was turned off reading anything about John by Thomas Cahill's Book on John XXIII. It portrayed him as aloof and dimwitted. I think the true John XXIII story is this one. Now I want to read more about this remarkable man.His entire life was one of humility. That would define Cahill's definition of aloofness. He was also considered naive by his contemporaries including Benedict XV. This saintly humility and naivete' was his love of humanity by not criticizing his enemies. He would "go the road of the saints" in his daily life including those who wanted him to fail. In the end John was the victor. He saw that the church was in need to be renewed, but his plan was not to change the church for the worse but to renew it in the Holy Spirit. It has taken over 40 years for the true John to come out into the world. Like most saintly people, the truth almost never comes to be known until someone notices and writes a great book.

Pope John XXIII caught my imagination during his time as "Papa" in the 'chair of Peter.' His insistence on going out on Christmas day to say mass for prisoners in the local jail; his marrying a young peasant couple because they asked; his 'opening the windows' to let fresh air into the Church; his prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the second Vatican Council, as a "New Pentecost all intrigued me. When I visited Rome in 1975, ten years after his death, the only 2 things I bought myself were a lovely mosaic, red and green, 'Christmas cross" and a 3" statue of the familiar, well-loved, rotund "Papa" John XXIII.Reading Patricia Treece's account of his life and heart were a blessing to me. I cried, I laughed, I prayed, and not much moves me this way. This book brought my beloved "Papa" right into my room. The authors sources were more far ranging and more personal than I had encountered before. This book Meet John XXIII: Joyful Pope and Father to All  brought me back to an earlier fervor which had faded.I hope that you find this book to be the blessing that I did.

This is a good overview of the life of Pope John 23rd. It seemed to offer enough detail, but not too many. It also didn't hijack his life, trying to twist what he believed to the author's agenda. It was inspiring, the way the lives of the Saints should be. Occasionally, I would get a little bored, but it would soon pick back up (that's why I gave it a 4) It also would be good book for people who are maybe doing research or just interested in history.

I thought the book was an easy read. His life was very inspiring and he really had a great vision for the church. Since I was just a little more than a teen when Vatican II took place, it was helpful to know his reasons for wanting change and in my view, one of the better changes the church has made.

This is the best book on Pope John XX111. It was easy to read and I enjoyed it very much. I had an audience with him on Christmas Day, December 25, 1961 in the Sistine Chaple. Over the years, he has become a wonderful and special influence on our family. His message to everyone that day was, "love one another". We all look forward to his canonization on April 27, 2014 and we can now call him SAINT JOHN XX111.

When I started I didn't know that much about JohnXXIII, but after reading this book I came away feeling like I knew not only the Pope but the man. Patricia Treece let us into what made up the man and how he dealt not only with his faith but being a human being with emotions, and pain. I would tell anyone who wants to get to know this wonderful person to read this book.

a gift for someone close to me