John Paul I - Pope, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church for 33 days. In the entire history of the papacy, it was the shortest of the pontificates. Today he is considered the last Italian pope and the most mysterious pope of the 20th century.
The beginning of the spiritual path
In the secular life of the future, the pope was called Albino Luciani. He was born on October 17, 1912 in a small village near Venice. His family was poor. My father worked in a factory and considered himself a socialist.
Young Luciani began his education at the Feltre Theological Seminary. He later studied at Belluno Seminary. On July 7, 1935, Albino Luciani was ordained a priest, then transferred to the Gregorian Institute of Rome. There Albino Luciani receives his doctorate in theology. He defended his dissertation on the topic of the Catholic theologian Antonio Rosmini (1797-1855).
After studying in Rome, Luciani returns to his native diocese of Belluno and begins to teach the law of God to children from poor families. Albino Luciani's career is going uphill. During ten years of work as a priest in a parish, he becomes the deputy vicar in the diocese.
In 1958, Luciani was elevated to the bishopric, and he accepted a new appointment to the bishopric of Vittorio Veneto. This position was to Albino's liking, since the bishopric was very poor and small. Luciani could personally meet and communicate with any of the believers.
In 1969, Albino Luciani was appointed Patriarch of Venice, and four years later he was promoted to cardinals. Having taken the highest rank of a clergyman, Albino remains a life-loving, easy-going and friendly person.
John Paul I on the throne of the Pope
After the death of Paul VI, the conclave, within a short period of time, elects the next pope. Albino Luciani becomes him. This was a complete surprise to both Luciani himself and to everyone else. The head of the Catholic Church began his papacy with innovations. For the first time in the history of Catholicism, a new pope chose a double name for himself. It was named after two previous popes: John XXIII and Paul VI.
Then the ruler of the Holy See expressed his rejection of the tiara and the coronation ceremony, adopted in the Middle Ages, replacing it with a festive mass at St. Peter's Basilica. These innovations were regarded as a decisive detachment from secular power. An unpleasant incident took place at the celebration of the enthronement of the new pope. The celebration was attended by a representation from the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by Metropolitan Nikodim of Leningrad and Ladoga (in the world - Boris Georgievich Rotov). At a reception with John Paul I, the Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church died suddenly of a heart attack. This sad incident was interpreted as a bad omen for the new pope.
In the curia of Rome, the Pope's innovations began to be watched with concern. Luciani did not follow the rules of the "secular order" that had been established for centuries. According to some dignitaries, he behaved in such a way as if he wanted to resolve all the difficulties of the church in one month. John Paul I caused irritation by not taking part in diplomatic intrigues, and when he spoke to people, he tried to speak in his own words, and not read from the cribs prepared for him in advance. He compared the Papal apartments to the "holy cage" in which he felt like a prisoner. During such a short stay on the throne, the Pope did not publish a single encyclical (papal document or epistle) and did not perform other actions that would make it possible to form one or another opinion about him. However, John Paul I said that the main reason for atheism is the discrepancy between the deeds and words of Catholics.
Death of John Paul I
On the night of September 28-29, 1978, 33 days after the enthronement of John Paul I, he was found dead in his bedroom. The body of the pope was found by the personal secretary when he entered his room in the morning. On the table was a lighted night lamp and an open book.
According to the official version and the medical testimony of doctors, the Pope died of myocardial infarction. The death of John Paul I occurred suddenly, around midnight on September 28th.
In unofficial sources, there are versions about the poisoning of John Paul I. In this context, the death of the Orthodox Metropolitan Nikodim, who drank poisoned coffee, supposedly prepared for the pope, is considered. This theory is supported by the fact that John Paul I never complained of his heart, and, in the opinion of his treating doctor, he was a completely healthy person.
The relatives of John Paul I said that immediately after the coronation ceremony, the Pope was cheerful and optimistic, and shortly before his death he was found sad and anxious.
In 2003, the process of his beatification began (a ceremony in the Catholic Church during which the deceased is canonized). According to many claims of parishioners, miraculous healings are being performed in the Belluno diocese, where Albino Luciani served. In the fall of 2017, Pope Francis approved the canonization of Pope John Paul I.
Personal life
With the passage of time, it is difficult to say what kind of Pope John Paul I would have been. One thing was clear - he intended to continue the work that had begun by his predecessors, John and Paul. A difficult burden for him was the rules of "secular etiquette" established in the Vatican. It was easier for him to live and work among ordinary parishioners and poor people. He strove for simplicity, renewal of papal politics and democracy. He was called "smiling dad" or "daddy-boy."
