Pope John Paul I

Pope of the Catholic Church in 1978 (1912-1978)

Pope John Paul I (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. I; Italian: Giovanni Paolo I, 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978), born Albino Luciani, was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church and the 264th Pope for 33 days in 1978.[2] His name was a combination of the names of the two popes who came before him. The name "John Paul" honors Pope John XXIII who made him a bishop and Pope Paul VI who raised him to the rank of cardinal.[3] Pope John Paul I was beatified by Pope Francis on 04 September 2022.[4]

Pope Blessed

John Paul I
Bishop of Rome
Papacy began26 August 1978
Papacy ended28 September 1978
Predecessor Paul VI
Successor John Paul II
Orders
Ordination7 July 1935
by Giosuè Cattarossi
Consecration27 December 1958
by John XXIII
Created cardinal5 March 1973
by Paul VI
Personal details
Birth nameAlbino Luciani
Born(1912-10-17)17 October 1912
Canale d'Agordo, Belluno, Veneto, Kingdom of Italy
Died28 September 1978(1978-09-28) (aged 65)
Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
Previous post
MottoHumilitas (Humility)
SignatureJohn Paul I's signature
Coat of armsJohn Paul I's coat of arms
Sainthood
Venerated inCatholic Church
Beatified04 September 2022
St. Peter's Square, Vatican City
by Pope Francis
Attributes
PatronageCatechists[1]
Other popes named John Paul
Ordination history of
Pope John Paul I
History
Diaconal ordination
Date2 February 1935
Priestly ordination
Ordained byGiosuè Cattarossi
Date7 July 1935
PlaceChurch of San Pietro, Belluno, Kingdom of Italy
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorPope John XXIII
Co-consecratorsGirolamo Bortignon (Padua)
Gioacchino Muccin (Bell. & Felt.)
Date27 December 1958
PlaceSaint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
Cardinalate
Elevated byPope Paul VI
Date5 March 1973
Papal styles of
Pope John Paul I
Reference styleHis Holiness
Spoken styleYour Holiness
Religious styleHoly Father
Posthumous styleVenerable

Early life

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Luciani was born in Canale d'Agordo, a small town between Venice and the Austrian border with Italy. His father was a migrant worker in Switzerland.[3]

Priest

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Luciani began his priesthood in the parishes of his home region. In 1937, he became a professor of theology and vice-rector of Belluno seminary.[3]

Bishop

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He was made Bishop of Vittorio Veneto in 1969.[3] He understood his role as bishop in a modest way:

Just as there are different books, there are different bishops. Some are like eagles that glide at great height with magisterial documents; others are like skylarks that sing the praises of the Lord in a marvelous way; still others are like poor wrens that, on the last branch of the church tree, only squeak, trying to express some thought on the broadest themes. I, like Mark Twain, belong to the last category.[3]

Cardinal

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In 1972, Pope Paul VI made Luciani a cardinal.[5] and the Patriarch of Venice.[6]

Cardinal Luciani was elected Pope in 1978,[7] John Paul I was the first pope to combine the names of John and Paul as a Pope as his way of paying tribute to Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. He was the first Pope to call himself by a new name since Pope Lando in 913.

He was known as "the Smiling Pope".[3]

John Paul I died of a heart attack on 28 September 1978, 33 days after his election.[3]

Selected works

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  • In a list made of writings by and about John Paul I, OCLC/WorldCat has over 250 works in 370 publications in 17 languages and 11,300 library holdings.[8]
  • Illustrissimi (1978)[9]
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References

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  1. "The prayer for Pope Luciani". Corriere delle Alpi. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  2. "List of Popes," Catholic Encyclopedia (2009); retrieved 2011-11-02.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Obituaries: The Smiling Pope," New York Times. November 6, 1978; retrieved 2011-10-30.
  4. "Pope beatifies John Paul I: May he obtain for us the 'smile of the soul' - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 2022-09-04. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  5. Hoffman, Paul. "Vatican Focuses on New Cardinals," New York Times. December 13, 1972; retrieved 2011-10-20.
  6. Friendly, Alfred Jr. "Pope Admonishes Italian Bishops," New York Times. April 12, 1970; retrieved 2011-10-30.
  7. "On This Day: August 26," New York Times.; retrieved 2011-10-27.
  8. WorldCat Identities: John Paul I Pope 1912-1978
  9. Mitgang, Herbert. "Publishing: Writers Who Became Popes," New York Times. November 10, 1978; retrieved 2011-1030.

More reading

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  • Cornwell, John. (1989). A Thief in the Night: the Death of Pope John Paul I. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780671683948; OCLC 20013469
  • Seabeck, Raymond, ed. (2004). The Smiling Pope: the Life and Teaching of John Paul I. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division. ISBN 9781931709972; OCLC 438570516

Other websites

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Preceded by
Paul VI
Pope
1978
Succeeded by
John Paul II