Pope John Paul I, flanked by Masters of the pontifical ceremonies, Monsignor Virgilio Noé, right, and Monsignor Orazio Cocchetti, left, smiles as he appears at the lodge window of St. Peter's Basilica soon after his election Saturday, Aug. 26, 1978. On Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, Pope Francis beatified John Paul I, the last formal step before on the path to possible sainthood.
September 9, 2022
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John Paul I, 'smiling" pope, is beatified
Pope Francis has beatified one of his predecessors, John Paul I, a briefly serving pontiff who was distinguished for his humility and cheerfulness. The ceremony in St. Peter's Square on Sunday constitutes the last formal step in the Vatican before possible sainthood for Albino Luciani, an Italian who died in 1978, 33 days after being elected. Last year, Francis approved a miracle attributed to John Paul I — that of the recovery of a critically ill 11-year-old girl in 2011 in Buenos Aires. Seated under a canopy outside St. Peter's Basilica, Francis led the ceremony, punctuated by thunder and lightning. Francis encouraged the faithful to pray to Luciani to obtain "the smile of the soul."