Chris Patten on Pope John XXIII

Great Lives - A podcast by BBC Radio 4

Chris Patten, Lord Patten of Barnes, nominates a great life who was born a peasant and became a Pope. Pope John XXIII did well at school but was no star. He wasn't a striking figure of a man and struggled to keep his weight under control. There was nothing about him that stood out. And his election to Pope took many by surprise. But he was the man who began to push the Roman Catholic church into the modern world. Chris Patten is joined by Eamon Duffy, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Cambridge. The presenter is Matthew Parris and the producer is Perminder Khatkar.

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