Loyola College - Review Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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His Holiness Pope John XXIII A cloud of white smoke pouring from a thin metal chimney in the Vatican last October twenty-eighth revealed to the world that a successor to Pope Pius XII had finally been chosen. Ever since the tragic death of the Pontiff nineteen days earlier, the entire world had been speculating as to who would follow him to the Throne of Peter, Now the three days of deliberation and indecisive balloting were over and Angelo Giuseppe Cardinal Roncalli was the new Bishop of Rome. John XXIII came to a position which had won renewed reverence and ad- miration through the tireless ministration and personal sanctity of Pius XII. Thus, the Pope is now, while carrying out his duties as Vicar of Christ on earth, capable of exercising great influence for good in every region of the world. The new Pope has brought to his post a personal dynamism and capacity for the unexpected that have already caused a great impression. His individuality was exemplified by his break with the precedent at Christmas when he passed the day visiting prisoners in jail. His reign so far has been punctuated by many such incidents. Of all his acts, however, none have been so unexpected and more warmly welcomed as his announcement calling for an Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church, the first in seventy years. An outstanding feature of this announcement was his opening of the way for Church unity by saying: “We open our heart and arms to all those who were separated from this Apostolic See”. The obstacles which block the road to the unification of the Christian Churches are large and numerous, but at least a begin- ning has been made. In the brief period since Pope John XXIII took office, it has become obvious that the Church has once more been blessed with a truly great leader, and it is to this great leader that we dedicate this Book. JIM LANTHIER