John Paul I

The work of Albino Luciani is that of a pastor deeply devoted to catechesis, evangelical simplicity, and the implementation of the Second Vatican Council.

During his episcopate in Vittorio Veneto (1958-1969), he distinguished himself by his attention to social issues, his regular pastoral visits, and his constant concern to make Christian doctrine accessible to all. In Venice (1969-1978), he led a very simple life, refusing pomp and showing himself to be close to workers and the most destitute. In 1976, he published Illustrissimi, a collection of forty imaginary letters addressed to historical, literary, or biblical figures (such as Pinocchio, Figaro, Saint Teresa of Avila, or Maria Theresa of Austria), testifying to his vast culture and original pedagogy.

Elected pope on August 26, 1978, he chose for the first time a double name, associating John XXIII and Paul VI, thus marking his desire to continue the work of these two pontiffs of the Council. He immediately broke with traditional protocol by refusing the solemn coronation and the tiara, opting for a simple inauguration ceremony of his Petrine ministry on September 3, 1978. He was also the first pope to speak in the first person singular ("I" instead of the royal "we") during his public addresses.

In his Urbi et Orbi radio message of August 27, 1978, he set out six major wishes ("We want") for the Church: the implementation of the Second Vatican Council, the preservation of ecclesial discipline, the missionary impetus of evangelization, ecumenism, dialogue with the contemporary world, and active commitment to international peace and justice.

From the moment his sudden death was announced, an immense reputation of holiness (fama sanctitatis) spread throughout the world, nourished by the memory of his kindness and simplicity. In June 1990, the entire Conference of Bishops of Brazil addressed an official petition to Pope John Paul II requesting the opening of his cause for beatification. The competent forum for investigating the cause was transferred from Rome to the Diocese of Belluno-Feltre on June 17, 2003. The diocesan inquiry was officially opened on November 23, 2003, and concluded on November 10, 2006. After the examination of the Positio by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Pope Francis signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues on November 8, 2017, thereby declaring him Venerable.

On October 13, 2021, Pope Francis approved the decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Albino Luciani. This miracle concerns the inexplicable healing, which occurred on July 23, 2011, in Buenos Aires (Argentina), of an 11-year-old girl, Candela Giarda. Suffering from a severe form of acute inflammatory encephalopathy (refractory status epilepticus) and deemed dying by the doctors, she recovered in a total and lasting manner after the parish priest, Father Juan José Dabusti, invited her mother and the medical staff to pray and invoke the intercession of Pope John Paul I. The solemn beatification ceremony was presided over by Pope Francis on September 4, 2022, in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, in the presence of thousands of the faithful. His liturgical feast is set for August 26, the anniversary of his papal election.

Nicknamed by the faithful and the media as the 'smiling pope' (il Papa del sorriso) or 'God's smile', John Paul I left a deep spiritual mark despite the brevity of his pontificate.

His spirituality rests entirely on the virtue of humility, which constituted his episcopal motto (Humilitas). He liked to define himself as 'dust upon which God had deigned to write'. During his only four Wednesday general audiences, he developed a simple and catechetical teaching centered on the theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity) and on humility, exhorting Christians to gentleness and absolute trust in divine mercy.

His legacy is today preserved and studied by the Vatican John Paul I Foundation, established by Pope Francis on February 17, 2020, in order to promote his writings, his thought, and his pastoral magisterium.