John XXIII, the Pope of the alternative (1988)
From the article by Josep Perarnau (Avignon, 1928 - Barcelona, 2026) to The Vanguard (July 26, 1988). My own translation. Josep Perarnau, priest, doctor of theology, historian, and journalist, passed away on March 1st. A renowned and tireless advocate for Ramon Llull and founder of the magazine Archive of old Catalan texts (IEC), Dr. Perarnau finds nothing lacking in practicing journalism. He was an editorialist at the Tele/eXpres and the most competent Catalan chronicler of the Second Vatican Council. He held the National Prize for Cultural Heritage (1996) and the Narcís Monturiol Medal (1998). The University of Barcelona awarded him a doctorate. honorary cause in 2009. He was a member of the IEC.
Long-time readers will recall that, at the very moment of his election, John XXIII was described as a "transitional Pope." Now, as we approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death [1988], one might ask whether we should not define him as the "Pope of the alternative." Indeed, his figure immediately highlighted another aspect of the papal role. I knew a cardinal at that time,Romanaccio"of pure stock, who always referred to the Roman Pontiff, even in the 1970s, as "Il Sovrano": the Sovereign. The figure of John XXIII is the antithesis of this epithet, since his character and behavior were those of a Christian with a solid foundation in humanity.
[...] The enormous success of John XXIII, which has made him a paradigmatic figure for the Church, is understandable. This success is based on the fact that, with his council, John XXIII won over the Church. And with the Church, many people "of good will." The Church—the community of the faithful, gathered around the altar of the parish, and even more so the Church—the community of the faithful around a bishop
[...] His two "human" encyclicals, Mother and Teacher and Pacem in TerrisThey were also a success because they pointed out paths and slogans that could attract Christians and non-Christians alike toward greater social equality or toward the conditions for genuine and true peace. [...] He never intended that the boldness of the entire Church in embarking on an alternative path should represent any kind of impoverishment of all that is authentically Christian, gathered and consolidated over centuries. Who doesn't remember his motto "Obedientia et Pax", or the serenity with which he bore the death sentence of his cancer? Does this mean that the alternative, or the fact of having become a precursor for the whole Church and for many people outside of it, was rooted in the Christian values of the so-called "passive virtues" in his incredible army to his innumerable precursor and his Christian precursor and his Christian precursor and his believers and contemporary people.
Josep Perarnau 1988