Pope John Paul I, who died in 1978 after only 33 days as pontiff, moved closer to sainthood on Sunday with the Vatican still having to dismiss lingering conspiracy theories that he was a victim of foul play.
Pope Francis beatified his predecessor at a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square before tens of thousands of people. Beatification is the last step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church.
John Paul was known as “The Smiling Pope” because of his meekness and simplicity.
“With a smile, Pope John Paul managed to communicate the goodness of the Lord,” Francis said in his homily, speaking as people huddled under umbrellas in a thunder storm.
“How beautiful is a Church with a happy, serene and smiling face, that never closes doors, never hardens hearts, never complains or harbours resentment, does not grow angry or impatient, does not look dour or suffer nostalgia for the past”.
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 Aug. 26, 1978 following the death of Pope Paul VI, taking the name John Paul to honour his two immediate predecessors.
Two nuns of the papal household who heard no response to knocks on his door at 5:20 a.m. on Sept. 29 to bring coffee found him dead in his bed. Doctors said he died of a heart attack and aides said he had complained of chest pains the day before but did not take them seriously.
