John XXIII
John XXIII is the Pope of the Catholic Church, vicar of Christ on Earth, a spiritual leader for much of the Christian world, and rules the Vatican City State. He is known as the 'Good Pope' by the Italian peoples despite the pope's opposition to fascism and support for democracy. John XXIII is an energetic and charismatic reformer, but his doctrine is still traditional by papal standards.
Biography
Born to a family of sharecroppers in Italy, the young Roncalli proved his faith by joining the Franciscan Order. He became a chaplain in World War 1 and later became a bishop in Bulgaria, where he would help local Jews escape persecution. Once the war was over, Roncalli was promoted to a Cardinal of the Catholic Church by Pope Pius XII. Once Pius was dead, Roncalli was picked by the papal conclave to be the next Pope, due to factional divides within the Church and because of Roncalli's assumed weakness.