It must have come to a nerve-wracking surprise to the brothers of Joseph when he revealed himself with these words, “I am Joseph…” When Pope John XXIII welcomed the first American Jewish contingent to have an audience with a pope, his opening words were, “I am Joseph.” The man born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli chose the name “John” when elected pope, but his baptismal name was “Joseph.”
His relationship to our People was worthy of being emulated by other Christians, indeed others of any faith. As a “pope-aphile” myself, reading lots about the popes, I was taken by all Bishop Roncalli did during the Holocaust to save Jews from many European countries. Elected at age 77, it was assumed he would be an “interim” pontiff, not doing much, a caretaker until the next man was elected. Well, John XXIII might have heard through the grapevine that his colleagues whispered that opinion. Were they to be surprised!
Indeed, some Catholics believe he had a radical approach to their religion; but our People experienced a welcome change from what had been the tension between our religion and theirs! He altered Catholic liturgy on Good Friday to eliminate the word “perfidious” for Jews. He ordered the driver of his car to stop in front of the Great Synagogue of Rome as the congregation was leaving in order to bless the people. And getting back to his welcome words to the Jewish group from America, the pope said, “We are all sons of the same Heavenly Father. Among us there must ever be the brightness of love and its practice. I am Joseph, your brother.”
Friends, as one who lived in a neighborhood that was equally Catholic and Jewish, whose parents told him not to go outside on Good Friday because our neighbors heard how “Jews killed Christ” during their Good Friday mass, and on their way home would spit on a Jew or two, I began a life-long interest in learning about the popes, both our detractors and our friends. It’s leaders like John XXIII and John Paul II whose compassion we could use today.