You Might Be Surprised By These Influential Popes

Good Pope John (1958-1963)

Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (Pop John strengthened Jewish relations with Catholic church by confessing that the church had sinned against the Jewish people, accusing it of anti-Semitism. He called for an "aggiornamento”, which reshaped the Catholic policy and removed the word perfidious (Jews were not be trusted) from Good Friday day liturgy.

“We are conscious today that many, many centuries of blindness have cloaked our eyes so that we can no longer see the beauty of Thy chosen people nor recognize in their faces the features of our privileged brethren. We realize that the mark of Cain stands upon our foreheads. Across the centuries our brother Abel has lain in blood which we drew, or shed tears we caused by forgetting Thy love. Forgive us for the curse we falsely attached to their name as Jews. Forgive us for crucifying Thee a second time in their flesh. For we know what we did.”