Pope John XXIII: Surprise announcement of an elderly pope continues to reverberate today

Pope John's announcement of Vatican II led to the most monumental ecclesial event in modern history, certainly since the 16th century Council of Trent

Robert Mickens, Rome
Vatican City

It is now 60 years since Pope John XXIII surprised the world by announcing plans to hold what soon after would be called the Second Vatican Council. It would be the first such worldwide gathering of bishops of its kind in some nine decades.
The date was Sunday January 25, 1959 — the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul and the final day of the Octave for Christian Unity. The place was the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls in Rome.
The 77-year-old John had been Bishop of Rome for only three months and he made his surprise announcement to a small group of curial cardinals who gathered with him after Mass in the chapter room of the adjacent Benedictine monastery.
"Trembling a little with emotion, but at the same time humbly resolute in my purpose, I announce to you a double celebration which I propose to undertake: a diocesan synod for the city, and a general council for the Universal Church," Pope John said.
Those who were able to hear must have been stunned at the calling of a council. The "new" pope had told only a few people of his plans to make the announcement.
They included his recently appointed Secretary of State, Cardinal Domenico Tardini, and his personal secretary, Msgr. Loris Capovilla (who finally got a red hat in 2014 at age 98, thanks to Pope Francis).
But before the surprised cardinals could catch their breath John continued, saying the upcoming synod and council would "lead happily to the desired and awaited bringing up-to-date of the Code of Canon Law."
He said he would be "grateful" to the cardinals "present and to all those far away" if they would "kindly offer their suggestions… on how to carry out this triple program."
At the time there were only 75 cardinals in the entire world. (Today there are 223, of which 124 are under the age of 80.) Twenty-three of the 75 in 1959 had become cardinals only six weeks earlier.
One of them was Franz König of Vienna, who died in 2004 at 98 years of age. He was the last survivor of those who were cardinals when John XXIII announced Vatican Council II.

A neglected commemoration?

Only two men who were bishops at the time are still alive -- Cardinal José de Jesús Pimiento Rodriguez of Colombia, who will be 100 years old next month; and Archbishop Bernardino Piñera Carvallo of Chile, who turned 103 last September.
There are still a few Catholic leaders today who were entering seminary or were already young priests when John made his announcement at St. Paul's Outside the Walls. Almost all of them are already beyond retirement age.
But the anniversary of the announcement of the Council has never been the occasion of major celebrations at the Vatican.
Pope Paul VI did not make a big deal of the date. Neither did John Paul II.
During a number of years they did not even to go to St. Paul's to celebrate the feast of the Apostle's conversion or to mark the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
When he had his very first opportunity to do so, John Paul departed for Latin America. On the morning of Jan. 25, 1979 (the 20th anniversary of the announcement), the Polish pope set off for the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Bahamas on what would be the first of his record-setting 104 pastoral journeys abroad.
A few of those other trips also overlapped with the Jan. 25 occurrence. But to his credit, John Paul often acknowledged the history-changing announcement during the many other times he did go to St. Paul's Basilica for the feast of the saint's conversion, though he usually did so only by way of a passing reference.
This year, even before the 60th anniversary of John XXIII's announcement arrived, Pope Francis was already in Panama to celebrate World Youth Day.

A shift in focus

The 50th anniversary in 2009, however, was quite different. Benedict XVI was still pope.
And during an ecumenical service at St. Paul's, he concluded his theological reflections by "referring to an event that the more elderly among us certainly cannot forget." He recalled that it was "exactly 50 years ago" that Pope John "manifested for the first time in this place his will to convoke 'an ecumenical Council for the universal Church.'"
Benedict called it a "providential decision" that, by John's "firm conviction," was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The now-retired pope suggested the announcement of Vatican II itself had led to a "fundamental contribution to ecumenism, summarized in the Decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis redintegratio."
In fact, in the nearly four years of preparation leading up to the council's official opening in December 1962, it became more and more evident that one of Pope John's burning desires for the worldwide gathering was that it would help heal the divisions of the various Christian churches and denominations.
"The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council," says the first line in the Decree on Ecumenism.
And so, seeking Christian unity and celebrating the achievements gained toward that goal — rather than honoring the calling of the council — has been the main focus of the popes on the Jan. 25th feast.
That is not a bad thing at all. In fact, it is one of the great fruits of Vatican II.

The start of a major transformation

But, as Benedict XVI said, it all started with an announcement by a 77-year-old man who — we might add — had been elected only three months earlier as a seat-warmer, a transitional (read: intermediate) pope who would guide the Barque of Peter, steady as she goes.
Of course, Pope John was anything but that. His announcement that Sunday in the Benedictine chapter room at the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls was only the beginning of a major transition (read: conversion, transformation), the genuine effects of which we are only beginning to experience today.
John's announcement led to the most monumental ecclesial event in modern history, certainly since the 16th century Council of Trent. No one could have even imagined that when he called for the Council 60 years ago.
But Pope John lived long enough only to launch the ship. Pope Paul then guided it out of port, often facing turbulence and dissent. The popes following him tried to chart a more careful, disciplined course, until finally turning back and settling for the safety of the harbor.
And then came Pope Francis!
He has moved the Church and her people out of their comfort zone, away from an ideological system of theologized and black-and-white formulas. He has set the People of God back on a journey of discipleship that is sometimes messy, confusing, painful. But one that is also rewarding, life-giving and exhilarating.
As others have said, Francis has reconnected the Church to the reforming spirit of Vatican II.
But let us never forget, it all started on Jan. 25, 1959.