Quite striking is the similarity between the warm response to Pope John XXIII half a century ago and to Pope Francis today. Both aroused enormous interest and broke through the gilded cage of outdated conventions and stereotyped expectations. Both stepped over barriers of ideology or religion to evoke bonds of a common humanity committed to promoting the wellbeing of all people, especially the poor and marginalised.

Bruce Duncan reflects on the surprising similarities between Pope Francis and John XXIII, on this anniversary of John’s encyclical, Pacem in Terris.