The first stages of the process to make the Pope John Paul I a saint of the Roman Catholic Church have been finalised over the weekend in the northern Italian town of Belluno.
Pope John Paul I was pontiff for just 33 days and was known fondly as the 'smiling Pope', or 'Papa Luciani'. Even though he had one of the most brief stints as pope in history, and died in 1978, his many surviving admirers feel that his saintly qualities should be officially recognised.
Pope John Paul I said during his life, "For me civic, social and political freedom coincides exactly with the message of Jesus Christ."
His position as the Roman Catholic head was cut short following a sudden heart attack.
In 2003, the local bishop in the town of Belluno near Venice, where John Paul I was born and spent most of his life as priest and then bishop, instigated the formal investigation.
As the process has continued, almost 200 witnesses have come forward to testify evidence for the smiling Pope's sainthood.
-
Sarah Mullally has reasons to be cheerful after her first Synod but there are storms ahead
-
Christian and family groups denounce trans schools guidance
-
Church leader sees challenges and opportunities as research suggests openness to Christianity in the UK
-
Fewer than 1 in 3 churchgoers read the Bible daily
News
-
Church of England winds down Living in Love and Faith as deep divisions remain over same-sex blessings
-
2,000-year-old 'Pilgrim's Path' opens in Jerusalem
-
Turkey taken to task over Christians banned from the country
-
Christian nurse 'alarmed' after Phillipson says guidance on single-sex spaces will not apply to NHS
-
New research sheds light on why women are more religious than men
-
West has 'repeatedly failed Assyrian Christians'
Most Popular
News
God is the remedy for grief
To have loved deeply and to have been loved in return is one of life’s greatest gifts. But when that love is taken away, grief follows. And grief, in many ways, never fully leaves.
What does new school trans guidance mean for Scotland?
Although the draft guidance applies only to schools in England, there are ramifications for Scotland too.
Why is 1 Corinthians 13 often read at weddings?
St Paul wrote a timeless definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13, known as the “love chapter”, which is one of the most famous chapters in the Bible and is often read at weddings. This is the story …
Christian and family groups denounce trans schools guidance
While the guidance gets some things right, it still permits social transitioning.