Knowra Pope John Paul I Pope John Paul I Pope John Paul I, born Albino Luciani, led the Catholic Church from August 26 until his death on September 28, 1978. His 33-day pontificate was among the shortest in papal history.
Albino Luciani : The birth name of Pope John Paul I, an Italian priest who became pope in 1978. His life before and during the papacy is inseparable from the person behind the papal name.
Pope John Paul II : The pope from 1978 to 2005, born Karol Wojtyła and elected after John Paul I’s death. The next pope continued the double name Luciani had introduced.
Papal conclave : A closed assembly of cardinals that elects a new pope. Luciani’s election followed Paul VI’s death and the cardinals’ August 1978 conclave.
1978 October conclave : The conclave that elected Karol Wojtyła as Pope John Paul II on October 16, 1978. Luciani’s death required the cardinals to convene again within weeks.
Humilitas : Latin for “humility,” chosen as Albino Luciani’s episcopal motto. The motto captures the virtue Luciani made central to his public image.
Canale d’Agordo : A village in the Dolomites in northern Italy, where Albino Luciani was born in 1912. Luciani’s upbringing in this village shaped his connection to the people of the Veneto.
Pope Benedict XVI : The pope from 2005 to 2013, born Joseph Ratzinger and elected by the cardinals. As a cardinal, Ratzinger later discussed Luciani’s brief pontificate and its legacy.
1978 August conclave : The conclave that elected Albino Luciani as Pope John Paul I on August 26, 1978. Its ballots and deliberations produced Luciani’s unexpected election.
Papal conclave of October 1978 : The election assembly that chose Karol Wojtyła as pope after John Paul I’s death. This is the formal name for the election that followed Luciani’s pontificate.
Illustrissimi : A collection of fictional letters by Albino Luciani, first published in Italian in 1976. The letters reveal the accessible, literary voice associated with Luciani before his election.
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