The 40-year mystery surrounding Pope John Paul I’s death has been finally resolved.
The Pope, who held office for only 33 days before his death in 1978, was not murdered.
Rumours that he was murdered began circulating soon after his sudden death.
A new book “Papa Luciani: Chronicle of a Death,” discloses details about the pontiff’s death. It says there is conclusive evidence that his death was the result of a heart attack.
Reviews of the book, which was published on Tuesday, say Vatican journalist Stefania Falasca presents “thoroughly-researched evidence, including previously undisclosed medical reports, witness testimonies and Vatican documents”.
Her research confirms original reports claiming John Paul I died of a heart attack.
Until now, a lack of published evidence has allowed conspiracy theories to surface, including insinuations of murder.
Falasca’s book outlines the evidence regarding John Paul I’s death, including how the evening before his death he suffered a severe pain in his chest for about five minutes.
It occurred while sitting and praying vespers in the chapel with his Irish secretary, Msgr. John Magee.
The pope rejected the suggestion to call for a doctor and the pain went away without treatment. His doctor, Renato Buzzonetti, was only informed of the event after John Paul died.
Contrary to the Vatican’s initial announcement stating the pope’s secretaries were first to find him dead the next morning, he was actually found by Sr. Margherita Marin.
In a sworn testimony, Marin said when she went at an older nun’s request to see why he hadn’t had his early-morning cup of tea, she “touched his hands, they were cold, and I saw, and was struck by the fact that his nails were a little dark.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is the Vatican Secretary of State, says in a preface to the book that while serving as Patriarch of Venice in 1975, the pope (who was then Cardinal Luciani) suffered from a heart problem, which was being medically treated.
In November 2003 Saint Pope John Paul II declared John Paul I a Servant of God.
Requests to begin John Paul I’s beatification process followed shortly after his death. These were formalized in 1990, with a document signed by 226 Brazilian bishops.
Two miracles have been attributed to the intercession John Paul I are being examined. If one is recognised as a miracle, the man Italians called “the smiling pope” could be beatified.
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