Do you remember that before the amazing 27 year reign of Pope John Paul II there was a John Paul I? His name before becoming the supreme pontiff was Albino Luciani. Many forget about Pope John Paul I because he was the Holy Father for just 33 days. August 26th is the anniversary of his elevation to the chair of St. Peter. We really never got to know him as our Pope. Here is some background on Pope John Paul I:
Born: 17 October 1912
Birthplace: Forno di Canale, Italy
Died: 28 September 1978 (heart attack)
Best Known As: The pope who reigned for 33 days
Name at birth: Albino Luciani
Albino Luciani was elected to replace Paul VI as head of the worldwide Catholic Church in 1978 -- only to die himself 33 days after his election. Born in rural Italy, Luciani was ordained as a priest in 1935. After three decades of service he became Patriarch of Venice in 1969 and then was made cardinal in 1973. Luciani was elected as the supreme pontiff on 26 August 1978. He combined the names of his two immediate predecessors, Paul VI and John XXIII, to become Pope John Paul. Cheerful and low-key, he was soon dubbed the Smiling Pope and the Laughing Pope by admirers. His time as leader was short: on the night of 28 September he died of a heart attack, apparently while reading in bed. He was succeeded by Karol Wojtyla, John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in more than four centuries.
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