Pope John XXIII never forgot
his parents’ hard life as small wine-growers and farmers. His brothers also
joined in the farming, even when he became Pope. One day he was talking to some
friends when he said: “There are only three ways a man can be ruined: women,
gambling and farming. My family chose the most boring of the three.”
To receive the First Lady of
the United States, Pope John wanted to use the correct protocol to greet her in
English. The Secretary of State told him that he should use either “Madam” or
“Mrs. Kennedy.” As he was waiting for the American President and his wife, he
was pacing back and forth and practicing “Madam,....Mrs Kennedy...Madam....” But
the minute she entered the room, he went towards her with arms outstretched
and cried out in joy “Jacqueline!”
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| Pope John XXIII on his sedia gestatoria |
Always concerned with the
welfare of others, Pope John, who was a little on the heavy side, once asked
what wages were paid to his chair-bearers, those who carry his sedia gestatoria. On being told, he
pondered for a minute and said: “They should receive a bonus to compensate for the
increase in papal weight.”
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