A Passionate Adventure: Living the Catholic Faith Today
(A Passionate Adventure: Living the Catholic Faith Today o...)
A Passionate Adventure: Living the Catholic Faith Today offers a wonderful opportunity for English-speaking readers to learn more about the Servant of God Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I, the short-lived and too little remembered Pope, whose smile and warmth are echoed again in Pope Francis.
Along with a short biography, the book contains a large selection of English translations of Lucianis sermons, talks and articles on the faith from 1959 to 1978, the time when he was Bishop of Vittorio Veneto and Patriarch of Venice.
In a vivid and original style, the future Pope offers his reflections on the first Year of Faith in 1967-68, along with sermons and articles on the mysteries of Catholic belief such as the Incarnation and Redemption, the Eucharist, the cross, death and eternal life. He also speaks of evangelization and catechesis, birth control and abortion, faith and science, pluralism in the Church in the post-Vatican II world, ecumenism, prayer, devotion to Our Lady, and above all, becoming saints. He shows how living the faith each day is a passionate adventure for someone in love with God.
Un vescovo al Concilio: Lettere dal Vaticano II (Italian Edition)
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections
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or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections,
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Diario Del Concilio Romano: Celebr. Anno 1725
Pope John Paul I served as Pope of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 26 August 1978 to his sudden death 33 days later.
Background
Albino Luciani was born on 17 October 1912 in Forno di Canale (now Canale d'Agordo) in Belluno, a province of the Veneto region in Northern Italy. He was the son of Giovanni Luciani (c. 1872–1952), a bricklayer, and Bortola Tancon (c. 1879–1947). Albino was followed by two brothers, Federico (1915–1916) and Edoardo (1917–2008), and a sister, Antonia (1920–2010). He was baptised on the day he was born by the midwife because he was considered to be in danger of death, and the solemn rites of baptism were formalised in the parish church two days later.
Luciani was a restless child and at the age of ten in 1922 he was awestruck when a Capuchin friar came to his village to preach the Lenten sermons. From that moment he decided that he wanted to become a priest and he went to his father to ask for his permission. His father agreed and said to him: "I hope that when you become a priest you will be on the side of the workers, for Christ Himself would have been on their side".
Education
Luciani entered the minor seminary of Feltre in 1923, where his teachers found him to be "too lively", and later went on to the major seminary of Belluno. During his stay at Belluno, he attempted to join the Jesuits, but was denied by the seminary's rector, Bishop Giosuè Cattarossi.
His thesis (The origin of the human soul according to Antonio Rosmini) largely attacked Rosmini's theology and earned him his doctorate magna cum laude in 1947.
Career
On July 7, 1935, Luciani was ordained a priest. He served at his hometown and progressed to becoming a Professor and Vice-Rector in 1937. He taught dogmatic and moral theology, canon law, and sacred art. He started pursuing his PhD in Sacred Theology in 1941, eventually gaining it in 1947 from Pontifical Gregorian University.
Luciani was named Chancellor to Bishop Girolamo Bortignon. He was nominated for the position of Bishop several times but his poor health came in the way. Finally, on December 15, 1958 Luciani was appointed Bishop of Vittorio Veneto by Pope John XXIII.
Vowing to serve as a teacher and a servant, Luciani took up Humilitas (Humility) as his episcopal motto. It remained with him upon his appointment as the Pope as well. He took possession of the diocese on January 11, 1959. In 1966, he visited Burundi in East Africa to serve the people therein.
In December 1969, Luciani was appointed as the new Patriarch of Venice by then Pope Paul VI. As a Patriarch of Venice, Luciani travelled frequently to Germany and Brazil. In 1971, he was invited to the Synod of Bishops held in Rome. In the congregation, he advocated the need of helping Third World nations by donating one percent of the total income by the developed countries of the world. In March 1973, Pope Paul VI appointed Luciani as the Cardinal-Priest of San Marco.
Luciani was a strong supporter of the theory of simple living and humble thinking. In 1976, he sold a gold cross for raising money for spastic children. While some were critical of his act, in the broader light, he was seen as a dutiful servant and a moralistic leader who believed in making life precious instead of preserving valuables.
He even advocated selling of gold that the churches had so as to help handicapped children. Time and again, Luciani set up family counselling clinics to help the poor deal with marital, financial and sexual problems.
Pope Paul VI died on August 6, 1978. Following his death, a conclave was summoned for the election of a new Pope. As the Patriarch of Venice, Luciani was invited to the conclave. Though not considered ‘papabile’, his name came up in several papers.
While some cardinals believed he would make an excellent pontiff, there were others who thought that he did not possess the warmth and affection needed of a pastoral figure. Ultimately he was elected on the fourth ballot of the August 1978 papal conclave.
On August 26, 1978, Albino Cardinal Luciani, Patriarch of Venice, was proclaimed as Pope John Paul I. With this, he became the first Pope to take up a dual name in papal history. His regnal name “John Paul” was to pay homage to his immediate predecessors, Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. He also became the first pope to designate himself ‘the First’.
Immediately after being made Pope John Paul I, he came up with a six-set plan which defined much of his pontificate journey. He planned to renew the church through the policies implemented by Vatican II, to revise canon law, to remind the church of its duty to preach the Gospel, to promote church unity without watering down doctrine, to promote dialogue and to encourage world peace and social justice.
During his term in the papacy, John Paul I came up with several reforms that humanized the office of the Pope. Instead of using ‘we’, he mostly spoke in singular form ‘I’. He was the first pope to choose a ‘papal inauguration’ to commence his papacy rather than the traditional Papal Coronation Mass. He refused to use the sedia gestatoria or the ceremonial throne like an armchair on which the Pope travels from St Peter’s Square. Though he eventually abided by the norm, he was the last to use it.
Since the beginning of his journey as a priest, John Paul I had been very vocal about all matters, including sex. He supported the use of contraception pills but abhorred the practice of abortion. He claimed that it violated God's law.
He questioned artificial insemination as well, which was at its budding phase then, although he did not condemn its first users. John Paul I was against homosexuality and believed in love between two members of the opposite sexes that is sealed with commitment and fidelity.
John Paul was very expressive about the position of women in society. He believed that women played a crucial role in the society but were not meant to be priests. He believed that it was the will of Christ for women to carry a different, complementary, and precious service in the church. However, he claimed that in no way this degraded a woman or her position, making her inferior.
Though John Paul I was often criticized for his policies and was seen as an aloof Pope who remained in isolation and loneliness, the impact that his personality had on the people was overwhelming. He was seen as a warm, gentle and kind man with a friendly disposition. He was loved by the people who were in awe of his persona. What’s more, his excellent oratory skills impressed people.
Seeming to be the one to break free from the conformity and bring upon something new, Pope John Paul I’s papacy however did not last long due to his sudden death. Just 33 days into his papacy, Pope John Paul I passed away on September 28, 1978. He was found dead in his bed on the following morning. According to a doctor, he probably died of a sudden heart attack. Ironic as it may seem to be, just after being elected the new pope, Pope John Paul I had claimed that his reign would be a short one. However, none could fathom it to be so short.
Achievements
His reign of 33 days is among the shortest in papal history. Despite being very short, his reign was one that radiated warmth, love, faith, hope and humanity. Even in his short tenure, he left a lasting imprint on the minds and hearts of the people. His ideologies reflected the spirit of humanity and showcased the immense love and warmth that he had for the people. He started a legacy with his actions that soon made him one-of-a-kind leader. He became the first pope to abandon the flamboyant coronation service and instead had a simple Papal Inauguration, matching his simplistic personality and humble self. Furthermore, he was the first to use a double name (John Paul) as his papal name. In addition, he was also the first pope to add the regnal number ‘I’, thus designating himself as ‘the First’. Also, he was the first pope in decades to not have previously held either a diplomatic role or Curial role. His principles and ideologies have been looked upon highly by his successors and have made him a much loved figure in history.
Luciani stressed the need throughout his time as Bishop of Vittorio Veneto to answer the universal call to holiness as was an invitation in the Second Vatican Council. He believed that sainthood was something that all Catholics could achieve if they led a life of service to God. Luciani said that there were no barriers to sainthood and discussed this theme of the council in a homily on 6 January 1962: "We are called by God to be true saints". Luciani stressed the importance of this and said God invites Catholics and obligates them to sainthood. He also said that by professing love for God, Catholics say: "my God I want to be holy, I will strive to be holy".
During his brief pontificate, John Paul I spoke three times on the concept of God's mercy. In his General Audience address on 13 September 1978, the pope said that the entire point of mercy is "to surrender to God" through faith in Him, which goes about "transforming one's life" in the fight against sin, and the pursuit of holiness. The pope continued that "God has so much tenderness for us" in which "He begs me to repent" from sin so as to return to God's embrace. The pope concluded that "the Church too must be good; good to everyone" in its own outreach to the faithful.
John Paul I, in his Angelus address on 24 September 1978, spoke about the importance of doing good deeds through charitable and merciful acts in society, as to make the world more just, and to improve the overall conditions of society. The pope elaborated that it was important to "try to be good and to infect others with a goodness imbued with the meekness and love taught by Christ", while seeking to give our all in service to others. The pope further points out Christ's example on the Cross, in which he forgave and excused those who persecuted, referring to it as a sentiment which "would help society so much" if put into constant practice.
The pope also spoke about mercy in his address at the General Audience on 27 September 1978, in which he referred to God as "infinite good" capable of providing for our "eternal happiness" in His love for us. John Paul I continued that it may be "difficult to love others; we do not find them likeable, they have offended us and hurt us", though says that forgiveness between brothers and sisters is very important for unity and peace among people. Additionally, the pope referred to the seven corporal and spiritual acts of mercy, which he said acted as a guide for Christians, though highlighting the fact that "the list is not complete and it would be necessary to update it" as times change since global situations change. The pope concluded that justice adds to charity, which is linked to the theme of mercy.
Politics
After he became pope he had set six plans down which would dictate his pontificate:
To renew the church through the policies implemented by Vatican II; To revise canon law; To remind the church of its duty to preach the Gospel; To promote church unity without watering down doctrine; To promote dialogue; To encourage world peace and social justice.
The moral theology of John Paul I had been openly debated because of his opinions expressed on a number of issues, particularly birth control. It is debated whether John Paul I was liberal, conservative, or a moderate in matters of church doctrine, thus it is difficult to assess his views.
John Paul I reiterated the official views of the church in regards to Marxism and Catholicism being incompatible and believed it to be a "weapon to disobey" the Christian faith. As Patriarch of Venice, he struggled at times with Marxist students who were demanding changes in Venetian policies. He also forbade those factions that were Marxist threatening the faith.
Views
Contraception. It is certain that John Paul I would not have reversed Paul VI's teaching, namely on contraception, since it was a question of sexual ethics and Church doctrine, rather than one of personal opinion. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that John Paul I would not have insisted upon the negative judgment in Humanae vitae as aggressively and publicly as John Paul II did. Luciani had mixed feelings in regards to the traditional stance on contraception. In 1968, as Bishop of Vittorio Veneto, he submitted a report to his predecessor as the Patriarch of Venice, Giovanni Urbani, that argued that the contraceptive pill should be permitted. It was agreed on by fellow Veneto bishops and was later submitted to Pope Paul VI. When Humanae vitae was released, Luciani defended that document. But he seemed to contradict that defence in a letter he wrote to his diocese four days after the release of the encyclical. In May 1978, Cardinal Luciani was invited to speak at a Milanese conference to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the encyclical. He refused to speak at the event or even attend it.
Some take a different view, describing that while serving as Patriarch of Venice, "Luciani was intransigent with his upholding of the teaching of the Church and severe with those, who through intellectual pride and disobedience paid no attention to the Church's prohibition of contraception, " though while not condoning the sin, he was patient with those who sincerely tried and failed to live up to the Church's teaching. "
Abortion. In his letter to Carlo Goldoni from the book Illustrissimi, Luciani took a critical perspective of abortion and argued that it violated God's law and that it went against the deepest aspirations of women, profoundly disturbing them.
Artificial insemination. In an interview before the death of Pope Paul VI in 1978 when asked for his reaction to the birth of the first test-tube baby Louise Brown, Luciani expressed concerns about the possibility that artificial insemination could lead to women being used as "baby factories" but he refused to condemn the parents.
It was his view that, "from every side the press is sending its congratulations to the English couple and best wishes to their baby girl. In imitation of God, who desires and loves human life, I too offer my best wishes to the baby girl. As for her parents, I do not have any right to condemn them; subjectively, if they have acted with the right intention and in good faith, they may even obtain great merit before God for what they have decided on and asked the doctors to carry out. " Luciani added, "Getting down, however, to the act in itself, and good faith aside, the moral problem which is posed is: is extrauterine fertilization in vitro or in a test tube, licit?. .. I do not find any valid reasons to deviate from this norm, by declaring licit the separation of the transmission of life from the marriage act. "
Divorce. In 1969, Luciani was cautious of de facto relationships as a lesser evil to divorce. He said that unions like those shouldn't be the same as marriage but he added that "there are, in undeniably pathological family situations, painful cases. To remedy that, some propose a divorce, which, conversely, would aggravate this. But some remedy outside of divorce, you can't really find? Once the legitimate family is protected and made a place of honor, you will not be able to recognize with all appropriate precautions some civil effect to de facto unions. "
Homosexuality. In a 1974 interview while he was the Patriarch of Venice, Luciani upheld the traditional line: "A sexuality that is worthy of man must be a part of love for a person of a different sex with the added commitments of fidelity and indissolubility. "
Islam. John Paul I was a friend to the Muslim people and as Patriarch of Venice said to Catholics that faithful Muslims had the "right to build a mosque" to practice their faith in the archdiocese. In November 1964 he explained the declaration of Dignitatis humanae: "There are 4, 000 Muslims in Rome: they have the right to build a mosque. There is nothing to say: you have to let them do it".
Quotations:
"Remember: Christ is calling you; the Church needs you; the Pope believes in you and he expects great things of you. "
"It is not wrong to want to live better; what is wrong is a style of life which is presumed to be better when it is directed towards 'having' rather than 'being, ' and which wants to have more, not in order to be more but in order to spend life in enjoyment as an end in itself. "
"God is our father, but even more is God our mother. "
"What a mistake those who do not hope make! Judas made a huge blunder the day in which he sold Christ for 30 denarii, but he made an even bigger one when he thought that his sin was too great to be forgiven. No sin is too big: any wretchedness, however great, can always be enclosed in infinite mercy. "
"If someone had told me I would be Pope one day, I would have studied harder. "
"The priestly vocation is essentially a call to sanctity, in the form that derives from the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Sanctity is intimacy with God; it is the imitation of Christ, poor, chaste and humble; it is unreserved love for souls and self-giving to their true good; it is love for the church which is holy and wants us to be holy, because such is the mission that Christ has entrusted to it. Each one of you must be holy also in order to help your brothers pursue their vocation to sanctity. "
"Playing sport has become very important today, since it can encourage young people to develop important values such as loyalty, perseverance, friendship, sharing and solidarity. "
"We wish to continue in following up the legacy of the Second Vatican Council whose wise regulations have still to be led to their fulfilment, being careful that a push, generous perhaps, but unduly timed, does not detract from the content and meaning of the council, and on the other hand being careful and reined and timid efforts do not slow up the magnificent drive of renewal and of life. "
"I come without five lire. I want to leave without five lire. "
"I will see you tomorrow, if God wills it. "
"In fact it is remarkable that this theory has had progressively greater influence on the spirit of researchers, following a series of discoveries in different scholarly disciplines. The convergence in the results of these independent studies—which was neither planned nor sought—constitutes in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory. "
"Even the young are killing each other. "
Personality
Luciani was nominated for the position of Bishop several times but he was passed down each time due to his poor health, stature and his resigned appearance.
John Paul I was regarded as a skilled communicator and writer. He was well-read, and was known for reading several newspapers each morning, including one from the Veneto region, before beginning his day.
John Paul I impressed people with his personal warmth.
His personal impact, however, was twofold: his image as a warm, gentle and kind man captivated the whole world. This image was immediately formed when he was presented to the crowd in St. Peter's Square following his election. The warmth of his presence made him a much-loved figure before he even spoke a word. The media in particular fell under his spell. He was a very skilled orator.
According to his aides, he was not the naive idealist his critics made him out to be. Cardinal Giuseppe Caprio, the substitute Papal Secretary of State, said that John Paul I quickly accepted his new role and performed it with confidence.
John Paul I had admitted that the prospect of the papacy had daunted him to the point that other cardinals had to encourage him to accept it. He refused to have the millennium-old traditional Papal Coronation and wear the Papal Tiara. He instead chose to have a simplified Papal Inauguration Mass. John Paul I used as his motto Humilitas. In his notable Angelus of 27 August 1978 (delivered on the first full day of his papacy), he impressed the world with his natural friendliness.
Sister Margherita Marin, who worked in the Vatican during Luciani's papacy, said in comments made in late 2017 that the pope had admitted the nuns into his apartment chapel for morning Mass, unlike his predecessor Paul VI who had only admitted his secretaries. Marin also said that Luciani would speak the Venetian dialect with those Venetian nuns to make them more comfortable, and to better interact with them. The religious also noted that the pope's humor was evident to all those who spoke with him, and he would often joke with the nuns when seeing his picture in the papers: "But you see how they got me", in reference to the quality of his picture.
Quotes from others about the person
Cardinal Karol Wojtyła was elected John Paul I's successor as Pope on Monday, 16 October 1978. The next day he celebrated Mass together with the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel. After the Mass, he delivered his first Urbi et Orbi (a traditional blessing) message, broadcast worldwide via radio. In it he pledged fidelity to the Second Vatican Council and paid tribute to his predecessor:
"What can we say of John Paul I? It seems to us that only yesterday he emerged from this assembly of ours to put on the papal robes—not a light weight. But what warmth of charity, nay, what 'an abundant outpouring of love'—which came forth from him in the few days of his ministry and which in his last Sunday address before the Angelus he desired should come upon the world. This is also confirmed by his wise instructions to the faithful who were present at his public audiences on faith, hope and love. "
Benedict XVI spoke of the late pontiff on 28 September 2008 during his weekly Angelus address. Of the late pope, he said:
"Because of this virtue of his, it only took 33 days for Pope Luciani to win people's hearts. In his addresses he always referred to events in practical life, from his family memories and from popular wisdom. His simplicity was a vehicle for a solid, rich teaching which, thanks to the gift of an exceptional memory and a vast knowledge, he embellished with numerous citations from ecclesiastical and secular writers. Thus, he was an incomparable catechist, following in the footsteps of St Pius X, who came from the same region and was his predecessor first on the throne of St Mark and then on that of St Peter. 'We must feel small before God, ' he said during the same Audience. And he added, 'I am not ashamed to feel like a child before his mother; one believes in one's mother; I believe in the Lord, in what he has revealed to me. ' These words reveal the full depth of his faith. As we thank God for having given him to the church and to the world, let us treasure his example, striving to cultivate his same humility which enabled him to talk to everyone, especially the small and the 'distant. ' For this, let us invoke Mary Most Holy, the humble handmaid of the Lord. "
Pope Francis spoke of his predecessor in his 2016 book "The Name of God is Mercy" in which Francis recalls how touched he was by his predecessor's writings. More than any of his predecessors mentioned in his book, Francis refers to Luciani the most. The pope referred to Luciani's remarks at the latter's general audience of 6 September 1978 and mentioned how profound that his words were upon him; of the remarks Luciani made, he said:
"There is the homily when Albino Luciani said he had been chosen because the Lord preferred that certain things not be engraved in bronze or marble but in the dust, so that if the writing had remained, it would have been clear that the merit was only God's".
