Today is the anniversary of the 1978 election of Pope John Paul I, Papa Luciani.
He is the Pope people forget to remember.
Pray for him, who was Vicar of Christ for so few days. May God reward him.
It was the Year of the Three Popes. An amazing period in the history of the Church.
Rather like this one?
If Francis resigns, we’ll have a Pope and two Pope emereti; 3 popes once again.
I don’t forget.
I wonder about his place in God’s divine plan.
It sticks in my mind because as soon as my dad heard the announcement of JPI’s death he gathered us in the living room to say a rosary for the Pope.
I sometimes wonder if when a good person dies before what we would think of their normal time to die, it is because God calls them to Himself as they are already fit for heaven. Goodness simply radiated out of JPI’s smile – perhaps he was ready to be called to join the saints in heaven. Maybe God thought the conclave had chosen the wrong man to guide the Church through the 1980’s and 90’s and needed to make the way clear for JPII? In any case I’m confident we don’t need to pray for the repose of JPI’s soul: I’m convinced he is already in heaven enjoying the beatific vision.
The “gentle wren”– ora ro nobis
He looks great being carried on the sedia. Can we bring that back at least?
Lucas: “He looks great being carried on the sedia.”
Yep, I’d forgotten that. I was 18 at the time, and at that time none of us thought it was any way out of line. It was what one expected, before “humility” became the buzzword. Our Lord allowed Himself to be borne into Jerusalem, on a donkey. People allow themselves to be borne on the shoulders of others in secular situations. What’s wrong with taking that up a very slight level, and being borne in a chair? It’s just a more dignified version of the shoulder-carry – and Italians (Latins – heh) DO dignity in a big way. It’s our heritage. Just think… people, ordinary people, the sheep we hear so much about, carry the coffins of their dearly beloved on their shoulders, as a symbol of honour. Why should not the living Peter be carried so? The sheep would love to show their honour. But of course the actual sheep are never consulted, just talked about – by a lot of people who’ve never got their lily hands dirty, perish the thought.
Adding the bulletproof glass enclosure to the sedia would make it far too heavy for men to carry.
I remember the summer of 1978. Went to Scout camp that summer (1st time) and I had only been an altar boy for a few months. I remember the death of Pope Paul VI because it was a Saturday and the afternoon baseball game on television was interrupted with a special report. Boy, I am old.
I remember the selection of Pope John Paul I because the deacon at our parish mentioned it during Saturday night Mass. A short time later, the same deacon began his homily with “I started a homily recently with the selection of a new Pope. Today, I am saddened to announce the death of Pope John Paul I.”
Somewhere I heard that John Paul I did not want to use the sedia gestatoria at first, but a friend convinced him that he had to submit to it as an act of humility. Humility, because the honor was not for Luciani, but for Christ and His Church, and it was his duty as Pope to allow that honor to be paid.
Prophey of Two Popes
May 13, 1820 Blessed Anna Katharina Emmerich who suffered and bore the stigmata of Our Lord wrote: I saw also the relationship between two popes.. I saw how baleful would be the consequense of the false church. I saw it increase in size: heretics of every kind came into the city of Rome. The local clergy grew lukewarm, and I saw great darkness.. Then the vision seemed to extend on every side. Whole Catholic communities were being oppressed harassed confined and deprived of their freedom. I saw many churches close down great misereries everywhere wars and bloodshed A wild and ignorant mob took violent action. But it did not last long