Last week, Edoardo Luciani passed away at the age of 91. Very few people would recognize the name. In fact, I didn't recognize the name at first. Eduoardo lived a pretty normal life - unlike his brother, Albino. Albino Luciani is better known to the world as Pope John Paul I.
The death of Edoarda Luciani brought back memories of an early Friday morning in September of 1978. I took our family dog out for a walk (actually, he took me out for a walk), grabbed the newspaper and got my cereal ready. Then, I read the headline - "POPE JOHN PAUL DEAD". I was completely devastated. This might seem strange, since I was young teenager. Pope Paul VI was the only Pope that I had ever known. He became Pope before I was born. Due to infirmities related to age, he had been pretty quiet in the final years of his pontificate. John Paul I seemed like a breath of fresh air - fairly young with a constant smile. He was my Pope - the first elected in my lifetime. All of the ceremonies related to his election were televised. Then, a few weeks later, he passed away, leaving the many "what if" questions.
A couple of years ago, I took my mother to a museum exhibit featuring items from the papacy. While walking through the exhibit, I came across the red hat of Cardinal Albino Luciani. It seemed like I was looking at a picture of a favorite relative that passed away many years ago. Last year, my wife and I visited St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. When touring the tombs of the popes in the crypt, we noticed that there were always mobs around the tomb of Pope John Paul II. While the tomb of John Paul I was just across the aisle, there were never any visitors.
On an increasingly regular basis, I have made it a point to ask Pope John Paul I to intercede on my behalf. He seemed like a very nice guy in life, so I don't see why that would be any different now. Plus, everybody and their mother is asking Pope John Paul II for assistance. John Paul I isn't nearly as busy.
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