On the Square Today

William Doino Jr. on Pope John XXIII, conservative hero :

Blessed John XXII is one of the most beloved popes in all of history—and quite possibly the most misunderstood.

Almost from the moment he was elected pope, Angelo Roncalli—or “Good Pope John,” as he came to be known—captivated the world. There was something about Roncalli’s ways—his buoyant personality and self-deprecating humor; his willingness to affirm rather than condemn—that attracted so many to him. But his personal magnetism, admirable as it was, has led many to romanticize his pontificate—as if he were some kind of papal Santa Claus—which has the paradoxical effect of devaluing it. Roncalli the man has given way to Roncalli the legend.