U.K. Press Sees Pope As Gentle Revolutionary

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30147, 3 June 1963, Page 11

U.K. Press Sees Pope As Gentle Revolutionary

(N ZPA -Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, June 2.

The British press today unanimously portrayed Pope John as a saintly and profoundly purposeful being who brought a unifying love and light to a world still torn by divisions and misunderstandings.

Editorials and articles in Sunday newspapers of all political beliefs joined in expressing reverence and grief for the dying Pope.

“A gentle, revolutionary he has introduced a new kindness into the Church's dealings with the res’ of the world, a-nd he has done a great deal to rescue the Church from that embarrassing position in which it was too often regarded as the natural ally of extreme conservatism and reaction.” the "Observer" and. “It is because this transformation is

still incomplete and precarious that ‘men of good will’ everywhere will join with Catholics in sorrow at his illness and in hope that his successor may carry on his work "

The “Sunday Mirror” said: "Pope John the Twentythird has been in the Vatican for fewer than five years, but in those years his achievements were incalculable. By the bright flame of his deep humanity, his love of mankind, his courage, his piety and his gaiety, too, he has done something that no ither Pope has done. He put his arm round the heart of the world.” Humanity and Humour The “Sunday Times” said: “No Pope in modem times can have been so deeply and sincerely mourned within and without the Church of Rome as Pope John the Twenty-third will be mourned by Christendom today “The pomp and circumstance of the Papal Throne could neither deter nor conceal his humanity and humour. We know now with what courage and faith he continued to work for the Church and mankind under sentence of death.”

The “Sunday Citizen” said in its editorial: “Pope John has made it a little easier to bring about the reconciliation between nations and systems that Is our only hope if humanity is to survive “Nor is this all. Under his leadership some progress has been made towards healing an even older division—that between the Christian churches He had little time But no man has used it better ” Captivated Men’s Hearts

The “News of the World’ said: “In his short reign Pope John the Twenty-third did more to captivate and fascinate men’s hearts than any Pontiff since Peter. “Pone John made friends with militant atheists and agnostics. They felit drawn to him as a good, as a great human character Even Khrushchev would, it seems have liked to be a genuine friend What a tragedy that such a man must leave us so soon ”

The “Sunday Express” believed that Pope John had wrought a miracle in applying decent standards of ordinary men to world affairs “Pope John has for ever put hundreds of millions who accept Rome’s leadership in the forefront of the fight for tolerance and world peace," the “Sunday Express" editorial said. “Indeed it may be that history will single out Pope John as the man who changed the world by his amazing decision to offer the hand of humanity and friendship to Moscow. “Wrought Miracle"

“He was an ordinary man who also had the inspiration and the greatness to apply the simple, decent, God-given standards of ordinary men to world affairs. In doing so, he wrought a miracle,” the “Sunday Express” said. The “Sunday Telegraph” said: “Will the man who follows Pope John be chosen to continue his liberal policies towards communism or to revert to a traditional Roman Catholic hard line against Russia?

“If a hard-line Pope is elected, negotiations going on in Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia might well be halted, and the fight between communism and Catholicism would revert to the old trench warfare.

“If the election of a new Pope had different motivations. a man who might well be chosen is Cardinal Koenig of Austria, who has been the Pope's chief representative in contacts with East Europe Coming from a country which is neutral by treaty he could appeal to most shades of opinion.” The “People" published an article by its Vatican correspondent who wrote tha<t Pope John was “a friendly man whose natural love of life and oeoole shone through the pomp and circumstance of being Christ’s vicar on earth to Roman Catholics throughout the world In four years as Pope, these qualities enfeared him to an even greater number of people—Anglicans Tews. Methodists, men and women of all creeds ”