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Pope John Paul I (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. I, Italian: Giovanni Paolo I), born Albino Luciani (17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978), reigned asPope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes. John Paul I was the first Pope to be born in the 20th century and the last Pope to die in it.

In Italy he is remembered with the appellatives of "Il Papa del Sorriso" (The Smiling Pope)^[1] and "Il Sorriso di Dio" (The smile of God).^[2] Timemagazine and other publications referred to him as The September Pope.^[3]

Contents   [hide]  1 Biography 1.1 Early years 2 Papacy 2.1 Election 2.2 Church policies 2.2.1 Humanising the papacy 2.2.2 Encyclical on devolution 2.2.3 Moral theology 2.3 Personality 3 Death 4 Legacy 4.1 Initiation of canonisation process 4.2 John Paul II on his predecessor 5 Media 6 References 7 External links

[edit]Biography

[edit]Early years

Birthplace at Via XX Agosto

Albino Luciani was born on October 17, 1912 in Forno di Canale (now Canale d'Agordo) in Belluno, a province of the Veneto region in Northern Italy. He was the son of Giovanni Luciani (1872?–1952), abricklayer, and Bortola Tancon (1879?–1948). Albino was followed by two brothers, Federico (1915–1916) and Edoardo (1917–2008), and a sister, Antonia (1920–2009).

Luciani entered the minor seminary of Feltre in 1923, where his teachers found him "too lively", and later went on to the major seminary of Belluno. During his stay at Belluno, he attempted to join the Jesuits, but was denied by the seminary's rector, Bishop Giosuè Cattarossi.^[4] Ordained a priest on July 7, 1935, Luciani then served as a curate in his native Forno de Canale before becoming a professor and the vice-rector of the Belluno seminary in 1937. Among the different subjects, he taught dogmatic and moral theology, canon law and sacred art.

In 1941, Luciani began to seek a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, which required at least one year's attendance in Rome. However, the seminary's superiors wanted him to continue teaching during his doctoral studies; the situation was resolved by a special dispensation of Pope Pius XII himself, on March 27, 1941. His thesis (The origin of the human soul according toAntonio Rosmini) largely attacked Rosmini's theology, and earned him his doctorate magna cum laude.

Stone commemorating Luciani as Patriarch of Venice

In 1947, he was named vicar general to Bishop Girolamo Bortignon, OFM Cap, of Belluno. Two years later, in 1949, he was placed in charge ofdiocesan catechetics.

On December 15, 1958, Luciani was appointed Bishop of Vittorio Veneto by Pope John XXIII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 27 of December from Pope John himself, with Bishops Bortignon and Gioacchino Muccin serving as co-consecrators. As a bishop, he participated in all the sessions of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).

On December 15, 1969, he was appointed Patriarch of Venice by Pope Paul VI and took possession of the archdiocese on February 3, 1970. Pope Paul created Luciani Cardinal-Priest of S. Marco in the consistory on March 5, 1973. Catholics^[who?] were struck by his humility, a prime example being his embarrassment when Paul VI once removed his papal stole and put it on Patriarch Luciani. He recalls the occasion in his first Angelus thus:^[5]

Pope Paul VI made me blush to the roots of my hair in the presence of 20,000 people, because he removed his stole and placed it on my shoulders. Never have I blushed so much!

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