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| Birth name | Giannis Christodoulos | |
| Papal name | John XXIV (Latin: Johannes XXIV) | |
| Papacy began | August 21, 2006 | |
| Papacy ended | November 29, 2007 | |
| Predecessor | Benedict XVI | |
| Successor | Incumbent | |
| Born | December 25, 1960 in Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey | |
His Holiness the Pope John XXIV, (in Latin: Pappa Johannes XXIV), is the current bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Servant of the Servants of God and Sovereign Ruler of The Papal States.
Born Giannis Christodoulos to a small greek catholic family of Constantinople in December 25th 1960, the young Greek emigrated to The Papal States in 1981 in order to conclude his studies and formation to the priesthood in Rome. Ordained later in that same year, he ascended to the bishopric in May, 1994. Appointed as bishop of Naples, he served there for twelve years until he was surprisingly elected by the College of Cardinals to the Papacy this very same year, just seven months after being made a cardinal of the Church.
He took the name John XXIV to honor the Apostle St. John the Evangelist, author of his favorite Gospel.
As ruler of The Papal States, he relies greatly on his Secretary of State and personal friend, Armand Cardinal Richelieu, homonym of the famous 17th century French cardinal.
As Pope, he is very strict in enforcing clerical discipline and hasn't shown himself very friendly of Church reformers. As his close advisers and friends usually say: Cardinal Christodoulos' (i.e. Pope John XXIV) favorite motto is «Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus» and his favorite song is «Te Deum». In fact, Pope John XXIV is told of being very close to bring back the traditional roman Tridentine Mass and enforce it on the whole western Church, as he profoundly dislikes the current situation of liturgical abuses that's going on on the Church today.
He is seen by most of his colleagues and subjects as a great churchman and an inspired leader, filled with the Holy Spirit. He's often nicknamed The Hands of God (Manus Dei) because of his proneness to enforce Church morals and dogmas on The Papal States' everyday's life and because of his relentlessness and fierce opposition to any heresy endangering the Catholic Faith.
Some also call him Giannis o Megas (John the Great; a play on words with Alexandros o Megas - Alexander the Great - because of Christodoulos' Greek origin) or il Megapapa (the Megapope; because of the Holy Father's omnipresence in the everyday's life at The Papal States).
After a long, quiet departure from the realm of international politics, Pope John XXIV's Papacy ended on the evening of November 29, 2007, with the dissolution of The Papal States. His Holiness' whereabouts are currently unknown, but it is rumored that he has withdrawn into retirement at his residence in Ravenna.