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Pope John Paul I, who died in 1978 after solely 33 days as pontiff, has moved nearer to sainthood however the Vatican nonetheless has to dismiss lingering conspiracy theories that he was a sufferer of foul play.
Pope Francis beatified his predecessor at a ceremony in St Peter’s Sq. earlier than tens of hundreds of individuals. Beatification is the final step earlier than sainthood within the Roman Catholic Church.
John Paul was often called “The Smiling Pope” due to his meekness and ease.
“With a smile, Pope John Paul managed to speak the goodness of the Lord,” Francis stated in his homily on Sunday, talking as folks huddled beneath umbrellas in a thunder storm.
“How stunning is a church with a cheerful, serene and smiling face, that by no means closes doorways, by no means hardens hearts, by no means complains or harbours resentment, doesn’t develop offended or impatient, doesn’t look dour or undergo nostalgia for the previous.”
Born Albino Luciani into poverty in a northern Italian mountain village in 1912, he was ordained a priest in 1935, a bishop in 1958 and a cardinal in 1973.
He was elected pope on August 26, 1978, following the demise of Pope Paul VI, taking the identify John Paul to honour his two fast predecessors.
Two nuns of the papal family who heard no response to knocks on his door early on September 29 to deliver espresso discovered him lifeless in his mattress.
Medical doctors stated he died of a coronary heart assault and aides stated he had complained of chest pains the day earlier than however didn’t take them severely.
At first the Vatican, uneasy saying two girls had entered the pope’s mattress chambers, stated he was discovered lifeless by a priest.
The Vatican corrected itself however the misstep sprouted conspiracy theories.
Though extensively debunked, the concept of a pope being murdered in his bed room within the twentieth century irresistibly entered the collective consciousness and within the movie The Godfather Half III, a pope named John Paul I is killed with poisoned tea.
“There isn’t any reality to it in any respect,” stated Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, when requested in regards to the conspiracy theories on Italian tv on Friday.
“It’s a disgrace that this story, this noir novel, goes on. It was a pure demise. There isn’t any thriller about it.”
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